Those attending today's commencement ceremonies were urged to arrive early, and traffic is already building, with even the shuttle buses inching along the roads. Watch video
PISCATAWAY -- Hours before the start of today's commencement ceremonies at Rutgers University, traffic is already building on the Roads leading to the campus.
Cars were crawling on Route 18, starting just before the River Road exit. And even the shuttle buses which were supposed to make it easier to get to High Point Solutions Stadium were at a standstill.
Some aboard the shuttles say they are just inching along on their way to Piscataway. There are no dedicated bus lanes on Route 18. There was even traffic aboard some of the shuttles. Passengers were standing in the aisles on some.
Elsewhere, graduates coming with their families were just getting out of their cars and walking:
We hope you're there! Don't end up like the person who took this picture! #ru250grad #rutgerscommencement pic.twitter.com/CTpnfN8oRH
-- RU Voice Magazine (@ruvoicemag) May 15, 2016
There was even traffic trying to enter the stadium:
Love this mile long line. Hello to Melanie Parikh, Jullian Rivera and all their friends and Congratz #RU250Grad pic.twitter.com/vLDXvVsXPl
-- Monisha (@mparikh777_) May 15, 2016
President Obama is scheduled to arrive in New Jersey Sunday morning to speak at the 12:30 p.m. commencement ceremony, but more than 52,000 people, including 12,000 graduates, will be trying to get there.
Here are the expected trouble spots:
Route 287: Exit 9 (River Road) will be closed from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sunday. Rutgers officials suggest vehicles, including those headed to the commencement ceremony, use Exit 8 instead.Route 18: Avoid the highway in the vicinity of New Brunswick and Piscataway. It will serve as the major feeder road into the commencement ceremony and the other events on the Rutgers campus.
Sutphen Road: The road that passes through Rutgers' Busch campus in Piscataway was closed Saturday and will remain closed Sunday to all traffic except vehicles involved in setting up for the commencement ceremony.
Raritan River bridges: The John Lynch Bridge and the Landing Lane Bridge, which connect New Brunswick and Piscataway, will experience heavy traffic. Some graduates and guests will be walking over the Lynch Bridge, but Rutgers officials discouraged foot traffic on the smaller Landing Lane Bridge.
River Road: The road that runs along the Raritan River in Piscataway should be avoided throughout the day. In addition to the graduation ceremonies at Rutgers, Sunday is the final day of the popular Greek Festival at St. George Greek Orthodox Church a few blocks away on River Road in Piscataway. The festival crowds are expected to further complicate traffic problems in the area.
Local roads: Heavy traffic is expected on local roads on and near the Rutgers campus, especially College Avenue, George Street, Hoes Lane and Metlars Lane.
Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The map below shows real-time traffic problems in red. Click the "+" and "-" icons to zoom in and out.