Baylor Gameday: Campus Parking Information, I-35 Construction Impact

August 27, 2019

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-6275
Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMedia

Due to ongoing I-35 construction, fans should expect reduced lanes and some road and exit closures throughout the Waco area. Please plan ahead and allow extra time to get to McLane Stadium in time for pre-game activities. ADDITIONAL I-35 CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION IS BELOW.

WACO, Texas (Aug. 27, 2019) – This Saturday, Aug. 31, Baylor University will open the 2019 football season at 6 p.m. versus Stephen F. Austin State University at McLane Stadium.

Please make note of the following parking lot and road closures, transportation schedules, important information about wayfinding technology resources, safety and security guidelines that include a clear bag policy, and water bottle use at the game.

FRIDAY, AUG. 30, 2019

Friday at 3 p.m. – All parking in the East Campus Parking Garage and all interior of campus faculty/staff and visitor lots will open to students with a valid parking permit. This parking will remain available to students until Monday morning, when regular hours resume.

Friday at 6 p.m. – The following parking lots will be closed to general access. Other cars that remain in these lots after this time will be subject to towing and citation.

  • Dutton Parking Garage
  • Mayborn Museum Parking Lots
  • Robinson Tower – all parking
  • Speight Parking Garage

SATURDAY, AUG. 31, 2019 - GAMEDAY

Saturday at 2 a.m. – The parking lots at Highers-Simpson, Ferrell Center and the Law School will close.

Up until THREE hours before kickoff, a limited number of parking spaces in surface lots on the interior of campus are available for fans attending the game.

THREE hours before kickoff, University Parks Drive will close from the Law School/Dutton Garage to Bagby Avenue.

CLOSED DUE TO I-35 CONSTRUCTION:

  • Southbound and northbound I-35 exits to 4th/5th Streets.
  • Northbound I-35 on-ramp past S. University Parks Drive.
  • Southbound I-35 on-ramp at 6th Street.
  • Dutton Avenue from 5th Street to 8th Street. (Temporary)

NEW THIS YEAR: The southbound I-35 Exit 335C for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. is OPEN this season and available for fans to access McLane Stadium Lots 1-4. (For specific directions/parking for pre-paid lots, go to www.baylorbears.com/parking.)

To see a map that includes gameday road closures, please click here.

For information about gameday parking, visit www.baylor.edu/kickoffparking.

GAMEDAY SHUTTLES

Free shuttles run on gameday from the Ferrell Center, Speight Parking Garage and downtown Waco. For information about gameday shuttles, please visit the shuttle information page.

PEDESTRIAN ACCESS

McLane Stadium is accessible from the Baylor campus on the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Pedestrian Bridge and also via the Brazos River walk from the Suspension Bridge in downtown Waco.

I-35 CONSTRUCTION: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

Because of the ongoing I-35 construction through Waco, before you make your way to McLane Stadium, it is advised to KNOW BEFORE YOU GO.

Use the following resources:

  • Check real-time traffic conditions on I-35 at Waco4bmap.org and follow @TxDOTWacoPIO on Twitter for up-to-date lane closure and construction information. Sign up for TxDOT email and text alerts at www.My35.org/Waco.
  • WAZE APP: Waze has been specifically updated to get fans to their pre-purchased parking location in the most time efficient manner. This system takes into consideration I-35 construction, gameday road closures and corridor capacity that are not available and/or used by other mapping websites or GPS systems. Do not use other internet mapping applications, which may bring you into traffic congestion. Please select your parking location (Ferrell Center, Dutton, etc.), not McLane Stadium. (For specific directions/parking for pre-paid lots, go to www.baylorbears.com/parking.)
  • For information on additional gameday policies, see the McLane Stadium Fan Guide.

MAJOR I-35 CHANGES OVER THE SUMMER

Fans who haven’t been on the Baylor University campus since May will return to find Interstate 35 alongside campus significantly different than when they last saw it. A major, four-year reconstruction project by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is underway on a 6-mile stretch of Interstate 35 from North Loop 340 to 12th Street, which significantly impacts the City of Waco and Baylor University.

These changes, along with regular 24/7 construction activities, will disrupt normal travel routines. When traveling to and from campus, to the downtown side of the interstate and other areas in Waco, remember to be patient, be alert, be resilient and “Know Before You Go.”

Among the major changes over the summer:

  • Significant southbound and northbound frontage road work to prepare for mainlane reconstruction beginning in 2020.
  • Removal of the 8th Street pedestrian bridge.
  • Removal of the 11th/12th street bridge.
  • Closing of southbound Exit 334A to 4th/5th Streets.
  • Temporary closure of portion of Dutton Avenue from 5th Street to 8th Street through the fall semester (near Martin, Kokernot and Brooks residence halls). Please note that when exiting from the Baylor Bookstore parking lot and Fifth Street parking garage, vehicles can only turn right.
  • Temporary traffic pattern on University Parks Drive from Robinson Tower to Dutton Avenue by the parking garage.

MCLANE STADIUM SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES

Please note that McLane Stadium requires fans to be screened through metal detectors at all entrances for the 2019 football season. Gates to McLane Stadium open 90 minutes prior to kick-off, and fans are asked to give themselves plenty of time to get through the on-site screening process. A new larger screening area will be in place for Gates A & D.

A clear bag policy is in place for all ticketed Baylor athletic events. Fans may carry one clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag no larger than 12x6x12 inches or a small clutch no larger than 4x6 inches. Prohibited bags include, but are not limited to: backpacks, briefcases, camera bags, cinch bags, computer bags, coolers, diaper bags, duffle bag, fanny packs, luggage and any other bag deemed to not meet the clear bag policy. For more information about McLane Stadium policies, visit baylorbears.com.

WATER BOTTLES

With temperatures expected in the upper 90s, Baylor Athletics encourages all fans coming to McLane Stadium to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated on gameday. Fans may bring clear, empty water bottles into McLane Stadium to fill at water fountains located around the 100 and 200 level concourses. Limit one per person and bottles may not exceed 1 liter in size. Glass containers and backpack-style hydration systems are not allowed.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.