The Athletic Department fine-tuned the postgame traffic route following the rampant congestion after Saturday’s football game.
All eastbound Brightside Drive traffic will be directed to turn south at Nicholson Drive. Commuters will not be permitted to cross Nicholson Drive onto West Lee Drive heading east toward Burbank Drive.
This adjustment follows a renovated traffic plan initiated at the beginning of this year. The new plan converts Nicholson Drive to a one-way, southbound street south of the Brightside Drive and West Lee Drive intersection. It also permits two-way traffic flow on Burbank Drive.
Senior Athletic Director Herb Vincent said the change aims to alleviate congestion, which stretched as far as River Road and Skip Bertman Drive. Vincent said forcing traffic onto the one-way drive will clear traffic from the south side of campus more quickly.
“We photograph all the game traffic from a helicopter. We saw a lot of backup on Brightside and Gourrier,” LSUPD Chief Ricky Adams said.
Adams said Saturday’s record crowd of 92,739 contributed to the crawling traffic.
“The first game was probably the most unusually large game we’ve had in history,” he said.
Adams said the changes will also help prepare regular commuting fans for next year when Burbank Drive will be closed and under construction.
“We realize that we cannot eliminate congestion,” Adams said. “But we can minimize it.”
—-Contact Daniel McBride at [email protected]