Road Closures and Traffic Management Plan Officially Announced for Morgan Wallen's Sold-Out Concert at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
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The City of Gainesville Department of Transportation and University of Florida (UF) campus safety officials jointly released a comprehensive road closure and traffic management plan on October 3, 2024, ahead of Morgan Wallen’s sold-out concert scheduled for October 12 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which is expected to draw more than 92,000 attendees from across the Southeast. The core closure zone will cover University Avenue between Southwest 13th Street and Southwest 34th Street, starting at 10 p.m. on October 11 and remaining closed to all non-emergency, non-permitted vehicle traffic until 6 a.m. on October 13. Additional partial closures will be implemented on Northwest 2nd Avenue, Southwest 17th Street, and Gale Lemerand Drive within a 1-mile radius of the stadium, with full access restrictions going into effect at 12 p.m. on concert day.
Officials noted the extended closure window is designed to accommodate pre-concert tailgating events, pedestrian movement, and emergency response access, eliminating the gridlock that affected the area during the 2023 Luke Combs concert at the same venue. For concert attendees, designated public parking lots are available at UF’s Commuter South Lot, the O’Connell Center overflow lot, and downtown Gainesville’s Main Street parking garage, with free round-trip shuttle services running every 15 minutes between all designated parking locations and the stadium entrance starting at 2 p.m. on October 12. Attendees are strongly advised to avoid ride-hailing drop-offs within the closure zone, as rideshare vehicles will only be permitted to operate at designated pickup and drop-off points at the corner of Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road.
Local residents living within the closure zone have been mailed temporary vehicle access passes, which will allow them to enter and exit their neighborhoods through dedicated checkpoints staffed by campus police and city traffic officers. Any unpermitted vehicles parked on residential streets within the closure zone after 10 p.m. on October 11 will be towed at the owner’s expense. City officials also announced that 120 additional traffic control personnel will be deployed across the closure zone on concert day, alongside dedicated lanes for emergency medical services and fire department vehicles to ensure rapid response capabilities throughout the event. Attendees are encouraged to review the full traffic map posted on the City of Gainesville official website at least 72 hours before traveling to the venue, and to allow 3 to 4 hours of travel time to avoid missing the concert’s 7 p.m. opening act.
Featured Comments
As a resident who lives two blocks from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, I’m actually relieved they announced the road closures a full week in advance. Last time we had a big stadium show, I got stuck outside my neighborhood for 2 hours after work because no one warned me about the blocked streets. I just picked up my temporary access pass from city hall today, so that should make the weekend way less stressful.
I’ve been waiting 3 years for this Morgan Wallen show, so I already mapped out my route based on this closure announcement. My friends and I are grabbing the free shuttle from downtown Gainesville instead of driving, which means we don’t have to stress about parking or getting stuck in traffic. The tip to arrive 4 hours early is super helpful too—we can grab food at the tailgates before the show starts!
I own a food truck that sets up near University Avenue for big UF events, and this road closure schedule is perfect for my business. I can get set up as early as 8 a.m. on Saturday before the full closures go into effect, and the pedestrian-only zones mean way more foot traffic for my menu of BBQ and cold drinks. I’m expecting record sales this weekend, thanks to all the concert attendees passing through.