Thousands of students will soon be hauling boxes into their Storrs residence halls, exploring UConn’s campuses, and starting their new school year as the fall semester begins.
Students are moving into Storrs residence halls this week, with early arrivals on site starting Wednesday and Thursday. Freshmen start moving in at 8 a.m. Friday, followed by upperclassmen and transfer students over the weekend.
Overall, about 23,000 undergraduate students will start classes Monday at Storrs and the regional campuses. Many thousands of additional students are also enrolled at other locations, in UConn’s schools of law, social work, medicine, and dental medicine.
At Storrs, the campus population is expected to jump significantly this week – particularly on Friday and over the weekend – prompting a reminder for drivers and pedestrians to exercise caution and extend consideration for one another.
Drivers must always yield to pedestrians, and pedestrians should always use crosswalks where available. Those rules apply not only at UConn’s Storrs campus, but also on the city and town roads around UConn’s regional campuses.
About 12,600 students are moving into Storrs residence halls in coming days, including more than 700 in the newly opened Next Generation Connecticut Hall (NextGen Hall), which opened its doors Wednesday.
The on-campus students also include about 300 who are members of fraternities and sororities, and who started moving into their organizations’ homes in Husky Village last week.
Drivers are being encouraged to use alternate routes on and around the Storrs campus during daylight hours on Friday and over the weekend, to avoid delays from the heavier-than-usual traffic.
Also, all traffic will be one-way on Alumni Drive between Hillside Road and Hilltop Apartments for the duration of Move-In Weekend. University officials suggest avoiding the area if possible.
People moving into the Hilltop area, including NextGen Hall, should consider entering the campus from Discovery Drive, which connects to Route 44 at its northern end and carries traffic directly toward the heart of campus.
Taking that road – which was not open during last fall’s Move-In Weekend – will help drivers avoid entering at the intersection of Route 195 and North Eagleville Road, which will be busy with traffic heading to dorms in those areas.
A portion of Jim Calhoun Way will also be closed to vehicles on Friday night between about 6 and 10 p.m., during the UConn Men’s Soccer game at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium, although it is anticipated that many of the freshmen will already have moved in to their nearby residence halls before that.
The portion of the road between Alumni Road and the south entrance of the “I” parking lot will also be blocked to traffic during Friday’s game, and during each home men’s soccer game this fall, to ensure the safety of pedestrians walking along Jim Calhoun Way.
People who need to access the “I” lot – either this Friday night or during any of the road shutdowns – will be able to reach it either by taking Separatist Road to Jim Calhoun Way, or by Alumni Drive to Husky Circle and then to Calhoun Way.
UConn buses resume their regular schedule early Monday morning. Some routes have changed, so check the Transportation Services web page for updated lines and stops.
Off-campus construction that is not under UConn’s control could also affect the drive to Storrs and other campuses. Drivers can check the state Department of Transportation’s interactive travel map to learn about active construction projects and jams near the University’s campuses and statewide.
Although students will not be moving into residence halls at UConn’s regional campuses, drivers are urged to watch for them on nearby roads, and to remember that many people will be new to the campuses and unfamiliar with the traffic patterns nearby.
The Department of Residential Life at the Storrs campus has posted helpful information on its website, including details on each residence hall.
The University’s Parking Services office provides information on its site (www.park.uconn.edu/) about parking options and passes, rules and regulations, and the policy for the proper use of motor bikes, mopeds, and scooters on campus.
