Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday night gave their approval for a national bicycle championship race to take place downtown.

Commissioners will allow certain streets and parking lots to be closed to vehicle traffic to clear the way for bicyclists May 13.

The event will be a 1 to 1.5 mile criterium, or a short loop, which will be part of National Collegiate Cycling Assn. Road National Championships to take place from May 13 to 15.

Streets to be closed off for the route will include Vermont from Seventh to 10th; 10th from Vermont to Massachusetts; Massachusetts from 10th to Eighth; Eighth from Massachusetts to New Hampshire; New Hampshire from Eighth to Seventh; and Seventh from New Hampshire to Vermont. Some parking lots in the area also will be closed.

Streets will be shut down at 8:30 a.m. and reopened at 4 p.m.

Staging the bike race downtown was requested by the Lawrence Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

The request was included in the City Commission consent agenda with other items and was approved without discussion.

City officials have projected that the bicycling event would bring an estimated $300,000 in overall economic activity to Lawrence.