Notre Dame, local police share traffic, safety information ahead of playoffs

On December 20, 2024By Littum

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – It’s been over a century since Notre Dame had a home football game Friday night, and it’s expected to have ramifications for rush hour traffic in the South Bend area.

To prepare for the expected influx of visitors to Michiana, local law enforcement held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to talk about what to expect on the roads.

Remember that traffic around campus will be heavy all day. Specifically, Douglas Road will be an eastbound road all the way from campus to Ironwood Road in the hours leading up to the game.

St. Joseph County authorities encourage you to avoid using Douglas Road altogether if you can on game day.

“For a lot of people who live in like Chicago or Ohio, it would probably be best to get on the tollway from the 83-mile marker, which is up in Granger at the Capital (Avenue) and Beacon Parkway entrance,” said Cpl. Aris Lee with St. Joseph County Police Department. “With that said, there will also be a lot of holiday traffic.”

Cleveland Road was also suggested as an alternative matchday route.

South Bend police also say traffic patterns will change on the roads closest to campus shortly before and shortly after the game.

“Roadways that are close to campus during inbound traffic will be in a one-way pattern toward campus, and then after the game during our outbound pattern, all of those roads will become one way outbound,” said Lt. Brad Rohrscheib with the South Bend Police Department.

South Bend police say the inbound traffic pattern will be in effect from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

To put it briefly, if your evening trip typically takes you past campus and you are NOT attending the game/festivities, you should find an alternate route home. And if you are not going to drive on Friday, the police suggest that you stay off the roads completely.

The preparation for this game has been a group effort from organizations across the state of Indiana, especially with the expected cold and possible snow. Right now, snow showers are expected on game day, and temperatures are expected to drop to 20 degrees.

“With the weather on the way, we have been in communication with the South Bend Street Department as well as INDOT and they are prepared to ensure that all major roads and arteries close to campus are maintained,” said Lt. Rohrscheib.

While busy roads are inevitable, police say there are a few factors that can help ease traffic. Notre Dame says essential employees will work on campus on Friday, but everyone else at the university will work from home.

Meanwhile, South Bend Community School Corporation buses won’t be on the road Friday because their last day of classes before winter break is Thursday, so that’s another thing you don’t have to worry about.

However, you will see an increased police presence in the area to ensure that everything leading up to Friday’s big game runs safely and smoothly.

Friday’s playoff tilt between the Fighting Irish and Hoosiers starts at 8:00 PM EST. The parking spaces open at 8 in the morning and you are encouraged to get to the sites as soon as possible due to traffic and weather issues. A reminder that tailgating is not allowed during the game itself.

If you’re headed to the big game, you’ll find pretty much everything you need to know about parking, tailgating and stadium policies. by clicking here.

You can watch Wednesday’s press conference in its entirety in the video below: