Going to the Shoe on Saturday? Prepare for gridlock

The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

Aug. 26--End-zone pylons won't be the only orange that Buckeye fans will want to stay between on Saturday.

Construction on N. High Street north of Lane Avenue will make bumper-to-bumper traffic tighter as orange cones restrict traffic to one lane in both directions, said Mary Carran Webster, Columbus assistant director of public service.

Webster said the city has told construction crews to make sure the intersection of Hudson and High streets is open before, during and after the game.

Andrea Portier, an Ohio State University sophomore who lives on Hudson, said she anticipates heavier traffic outside her house as fans travel east toward I-71 after the game.

``It's going to take a lot more time to get in and out,'' Portier said.

For Jon Lofton, the inconvenience comes in getting to work. He said he will walk to McFadden's in the South Campus Gateway, where he is a kitchen manager.

``I'm going to be dealing with my own traffic,'' Lofton said, referring to the post-game crowds expected at the restaurant and along N. High Street.

Fans should anticipate spending 40 minutes to get out of the traffic around Ohio Stadium, said Sarah Blouch, director of transportation and parking services for the university.

Kenny Road, west of Rt. 315, is a good alternative to High Street, Blouch said.

The university advises fans to arrive at least two hours before kickoff to find parking on campus, Blouch said.

Construction of a parking garage and academic building on Lane Avenue has eliminated some handicap parking spaces. The university is offering additional handicap parking in the Neil Avenue garage near Neil and 12th avenues.