Anticipate road closures around High Point Solutions Stadium starting May 14

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s historic, 250th anniversary commencement will begin, rain or shine, at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 15, at High Point Solutions Stadium on the Busch Campus in Piscataway. The ceremony, with President Barack Obama delivering the keynote address, is expected to conclude around 2 p.m. and will be preceded and followed by collegiate convocations and receptions on the Busch, Livingston and Douglass campuses in Piscataway and New Brunswick, including the School of Arts and Sciences convocation in the football stadium at 3 p.m.

Exit 9 sign

With an estimated 16,944 graduates (including 12,248 from Rutgers-New Brunswick and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences), plus thousands of family members, friends and well-wishers gathered to hear President Obama, a crowd as large as 52,000 might fill the stadium for the free event. Commencement always draws much additional traffic to the area.

Starting Saturday, May 14, Sutphen Road on the Busch Campus will close to all traffic except that directly associated with commencement setup.

On May 15, travelers should expect delays on local streets and on Route 18 in the vicinity of New Brunswick and Piscataway. Roadways including College Avenue, George Street, River Road, Hoes Lane, Metlars Lane and the John Lynch and Landing Lane bridges all will experience heavy traffic.

To help with traffic flow, all visitors driving to commencement should display their hang tags for designated parking lots and obey all police and traffic safety officers. For complimentary shuttle bus information, visit commencement.rutgers.edu/parking-guidelines. Mass transportation options and carpools are strongly encouraged.