IU Athletics Announces Important Traffic and Parking Information for Ohio State Game
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IU Media Relations
IU Athletics Announces Important Traffic and Parking Information for Ohio State Game
Fans Encouraged to Get to Stadium and Seats Early and Consider Alternative Routes; Athletics Campus Pre Pay Parking Lots Sold Out; Two New Auxiliary Lots at the Curry Pike Shuttle Lot and the IU Golf Course Plus Existing Auxiliary Lots to Accommodate Fans; Extra Event Staff to Help Fans
Bloomington, Ind. - Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass today announced that pre pay parking lots on the IU Athletics Campus are sold out for this Saturday's home football game against Ohio State. To accommodate the expected sell out crowd of 52,929, IU Athletics has opened two new auxiliary lots. These new lots are a shuttle lot at Curry Pike and IN SR 46 and another shuttle lot at the IU Golf Course off of IN SR 46. These lots along with several other existing auxiliary lots outside the Athletics Campus are recommended for fans who do not have a pre pay parking pass. Fans are also encouraged to consider alternative routes to get to and from Memorial Stadium, and to arrive and get in their seats early to avoid congestion on roads and in ticket lines. Athletics has hired extra ticket takers, parking attendants, security personnel, event staff, and other personnel in anticipation of the large crowd.
"It's going to be a packed house at Memorial Stadium this weekend," said Glass. "With pre pay parking lots sold out on the Athletics Campus, we opened two new lots to help accommodate fans. We also want to make fans aware of the many other existing auxiliary lots near the Athletics Campus that they can use. We cannot thank our fans enough for arriving early and using alternative routes all season long, and we encourage them to continue to do so. It will be an electric atmosphere on Saturday, and we really want our fans to get to the stadium early and get to their seats early to not miss any of the action. We will have extra staff to help make sure our fans have a safe and positive experience."
New Auxiliary Lots
Due to the pre pay parking lots on the IU Athletics Campus being sold out, IU Athletics advises fans to use the two new auxiliary lots or existing auxiliary lots in the area. The two new lots each provide a shuttle to take fans to and from Memorial Stadium. The Curry Pike Shuttle Lot is located at the intersection of N. Curry Pike and IN SR 46. The Google Maps address is: 2601 Hunter Valley Rd., Bloomington, IN 47404. A police escort will take the shuttle from the lot to Memorial Stadium. Shuttles begin leaving the Curry Pike Shuttle Lot at 11:30am. Cars cannot be parked in this lot overnight.
The Golf Course Shuttle Lot is located at the Indiana University Golf Course. The Google Maps address is: 1350 Indiana 46, Bloomington, IN 47408. This lot will have a regular shuttle that will take fans to and from the stadium beginning when lots open at 7:00 am.
Existing Auxiliary Lots
The grass lots (Red Lot) south of 17th Street, while adjacent to the Athletics Campus, are also considered auxiliary lots and are available for fans to use on gameday. Other existing auxiliary lots include the private lot at Genesis Church, the concrete lot at St. Paul's Catholic Church on 17th Street, the parking garage at 11th and Fee Lane, the Poplars Garage on 6th Street between Grant and Dunn Street, the Henderson Garage which has entrances on Indiana Avenue and S. Fess Avenue between 3rd Street and Atwater Avenue, and the grass lot at the Proton Therapy Center north of the Bypass. These lots also open at 7:00 am.
Working with INDOT and I-69 Development Partners
IU Athletics has continued to meet with INDOT seeking assistance in minimizing traffic disruptions to the greatest extent possible, for example, opening closed lanes and extending traffic lights. INDOT has extended green traffic lights along Indiana State Road 37 on game days. INDOT and I-69 Development Partners are working to limit lane restrictions on State Road 37 on gamedays. Athletics has also asked INDOT and I-69 Developers to remove unnecessary barriers. In addition, IU Athletics has provided improved signage upon arriving in Bloomington to assist fans traveling to and from the game.
IU Athletics staff met with I-69 officials throughout the summer to discuss the impact of State Road 37 construction on gameday traffic. As a result of collaboration between IU Athletics, I-69 Development Partners, and INDOT, there is a unified communications strategy to ensure that up-to-date and accurate information is being shared to fans and travelers by all three parties. Representatives from either INDOT and/or the I-69 Development Partners have attended all game day operations meetings with Indiana Athletics. They are also present on football Saturdays to assist with traffic updates and communications, and I-69 Development Partners are providing an on-call representative to help troubleshoot traffic issues and provide important traffic information.
IU Athletics staff personally travelled the proposed routes and requested assistance from INDOT to program lights along those routes on gamedays to improve traffic flow.
IN SR 37 Construction Update
There are several areas along IN SR 37 that are under construction and could potentially cause traffic delays. In addition to existing areas, this weekend the area on IN SR 37 between Cooksey Lane and Burma Road near the Morgan/Monroe County line will have northbound traffic crossing to southbound travel lanes for about 2000 feet and then cross back. This will make traffic one lane in each direction and vehicles must slow to 45 mph in this section. Traffic delays are expected on IN SR 37 both north and southbound on gameday.
Identifying Alternative Routes
• I-70 west towards 231-south and then State Highway 46 east into Bloomington (estimated travel time 1 hour and 30 minutes from Indianapolis). This route is not under construction and is also the alternative route suggested by INDOT and I-69 Developers for fans travelling to the game from northern and central Ohio.
• State Highway 67 south to Spencer, then State Highway 46 east into Bloomington (estimated travel time 1 hour and 30 minutes from Indianapolis). On IN SR 67 through Spencer to 45/46, south of Mooresville, there is a 1 mile section where two lanes become one four lanes become two (one lane each direction).
• I-65 south toward Columbus to State Highway 46 west into Bloomington (estimated travel time for this route 1 hour and 25 minutes from Indianapolis). There is construction on a 25 mile stretch on I-65 in the area between South I-465 and Edinburgh.
• I-70 West to IN SR 3 in New Castle to SR 46 from Greensburg to Bloomington. This is a second alternative route suggested for fans travelling to Bloomington from central and northern Ohio. SR 46 is closed just east of SR 7 on the southeast side of Columbus, between SR 7 and SR 9.
Encouraging Fans to Arrive and Get to Their Seats Early!
Fans are again encouraged to arrive early for tailgating, the festive gameday atmosphere in Bloomington, and to minimize traffic congestion along Indiana State Road 37 and other routes. Tailgate lots will be open at 7:00am. The Student Red Lot opens at 11:30am.
With a capacity crowd expected on Saturday, fans are also encouraged to get to their seats early to avoid long lines getting into the stadium. IU Athletics is placing additional ticket scanners at each gate and IU Athletics Ticket Office staff will be on the concourses to move patrons through the ticket lines quickly.
Early arriving fans are encouraged to enjoy live entertainment and food in the Hoosier Village, tailgate, or take advantage of the wide variety of restaurant and bar options in Bloomington before kickoff. For exact times of the opening of lots each week, follow @OurIndiana on twitter for that information.
Gameday Traffic Pattern
Fans should be advised that the gameday traffic pattern could be enacted as early as four hours before kickoff.
Enhanced Communication
Fans can opt in to the new text alert system by texting IUFB to 313131 to begin receiving alerts from IU Athletics. Only pertinent information surrounding travel, traffic, weather and emergency situations will be shared on the new text system. In just two weeks, over a thousand IU season ticket holders have opted into the text alert system.
For live up-to-date traffic information on game day, fans can follow @OurIndiana on twitter or opt in to the text alert system as IU Athletics will post updates for travelers from those mediums as advised by all parties involved.
IU Athletics has been posting updated travel information on IUHoosiers.com, issuing traffic related press releases throughout the year, and sending traffic updates via e-mail to all ticketholders. Fans should also tune in to WHCC 105.1 for regular gameday traffic reports while travelling to Memorial Stadium.
Working with Local Police
In another effort to help ease and maintain a more consistent traffic flow around the stadium, Indiana Athletics has worked with the IU Police Department to assign traffic officers to the same location throughout the entire season to keep the traffic pattern consistent each and every football game day. The football game day traffic pattern will be the same as in recent years and will go into effect a minimum of two hours prior to kickoff. Fans should be advised that Woodlawn Avenue, south of 17th Street is closed and under construction.
Departure Strategies
Fans are encouraged to stay and enjoy postgame tailgating as lots remain open overnight. Fans should also consider the same alternative routes listed for their travels home after the game.