Heavy traffic expected as UD students return to Newark starting Friday

After a quiet summer, Newark’s population will double this weekend as University of Delaware students come back to town.

Freshman move-in will take place over two days as part of a new procedure implemented last year in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion.

Each freshman is assigned a move-in appointment between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Friday or Saturday. Students and their families will check in at the Bob Carpenter Center and then be directed to their dorm.

Families will have 20 minutes to unload their vehicle before being asked to move it to a parking lot.

Traditionally, all freshmen arrived on campus on Saturday, with no designated appointment, which tended to cause major traffic backups throughout the city.

Spreading move-in over two days has helped to reduce that, according to Caitlin Olsen, UD’s liaison to the City of Newark.

“That way all of our emergency vehicles and all of our community members can get through the area, and it’s a little less congested,” Olsen said. “That was something that Newark PD had asked for, and it seems to be a really great system.”

Still, police are warning residents to expect heavy traffic on the main roads around campus including South College Avenue, East Park Place, South Chapel Street, Cleveland Avenue and New London Road.

Courtney Street may be one-way only (eastbound) and Haines Street may be one-way only (southbound).

“Additional officers will be working to help ease gridlock, but traffic will be extremely heavy. Expect delays and use an alternate route if possible,” Newark Police spokesman Lt. Andrew Rubin said.

Upperclassmen will move in on Sunday. Freshman orientation is planned for Monday, followed by the annual twilight induction ceremony at Memorial Hall. Classes begin Tuesday.

UD is expecting approximately 4,200 first-year students, Olsen said.

“We are not at that stretch level that we were at right after COVID, when a lot of people deferred, but we are at our comfortable number and really excited to have the students back,” Olsen said.