Police preparing for crowded campus, traffic restrictions during Purdue Half Marathon

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University police are informing motorists of traffic disruptions on campus the morning of Saturday (Oct. 14) due to the Purdue Boilermaker Half Marathon.

About 2,500 runners who will compete in either a 5K or a half marathon are expected to descend on campus, said Purdue police Capt. Keene Red Elk. The half marathon begins at 8 a.m. and the 5K at 8:10 a.m. at the intersection of Cherry Lane and John Wooden Drive. It is expected to last until around noon.

"It's going to be a very busy day on campus," Red Elk said. "So, while our main objective is to protect everyone, we want to accommodate motorists as we can. We just ask that people follow the directions of the police officers that will be stationed at various intersections and be aware of what's going on around them."

Essentially, everything from north of State Street to east of McCormick Road and south of Stadium Avenue to Northwestern Avenue will see vehicle traffic restrictions. Disrupted areas include:

* From the south, police will block northbound access where University Street, Martin Jischke Drive (the roundabout) and MacArther Drive intersect with State Street.

* From the east, westbound traffic on Stadium and Northwestern avenues will be blocked.

* From the west, eastbound traffic for Cherry Lane and southbound traffic at the Cherry Lane and McCormick Road intersection will be blocked. Westbound access on Third Street at McCutcheon Drive and northbound at McCormick to Third Street will be blocked, as well.

* From the north, southbound traffic on John Wooden and Steven Beering drives at Cherry Lane will be blocked.

* Cherry Lane will be closed from about 7:50 a.m. until the last runners enter onto northbound McCormick Road. Cherry Lane eastbound from McCormick to Northwestern will close again when the runners start turning off McCormick toward the North Stadium lot. This will affect the eastbound lanes only, and access will still be available to the golf course.

Red Elk said roads will reopen as the runners clear them. 

Writer: Jim Bush, 765-494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu 

Source: Keene Red Elk, 765-494-8221, klredelk@purdue.edu