As students begin arriving on campus for the fall semester, UAB Transportation recommends traveling an alternative route to work Aug. 19-23 from 7 a.m.-4 p.m., when the most students will be moving into on-campus housing.
Students will move into residence halls from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Aug. 19-23, and McMahon, Gold and Blazer halls will see the highest amounts of traffic. See the map below.
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Map showing affected areas for campus move-in from Aug. 19-23; see full text version of this graphic at the end of the story.
Move-in traffic will approach the west campus from Interstate 65 and will blend with traditional morning commute traffic; employees entering campus from I-65 should stay in the left lane down University Boulevard approaching 16th Street South, says Marc Booker, executive director of Student Housing and Dining. Surrounding side streets will be monitored by UAB Police to prevent drivers from entering the move-in line from alternative locations.
Planning an alternative route is the best way to ensure your commute is not affected negatively by move-in days, says Brian Atkinson, executive director of UAB Transportation. Atkinson recommends using a traffic app such as Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze to monitor traffic congestion information during travel time.
UAB Transportation recommends avoiding several general areas on campus where normal commuting routes will be affected by student move-in:
- University Boulevard eastbound from 13th Street South to 18th Street South
- 16th Street South will be restricted to one-way traffic headed south, between University Boulevard and 10th Avenue South. The left-turn lane at 16th and University (eastbound), in front of Volker Hall, will be closed.
- Drivers will be able to travel westbound on 10th Avenue South to enter the two parking lots between 17th and 18th Street South and must turn left (south) onto 17th Street South.
- Vehicles headed eastbound on 10th Avenue South will be able to access 16th Street South but must turn right (south).
The only change to Blazer Express Routes is that South Green Route will be rerouted to avoid 10th Avenue South and will skip the Campus Recreation Center and Rast Hall stops from Aug. 19-21, Atkinson says.
Monitor Blazer Express bus locations in real time on the TransLoc Bus Tracker app, available for iOS and Android, or at the Blazer Express website.
Visit uab.edu/facilities for updates on construction and road closures.
Text-only version of traffic impact graphic above:
Move-in Day Traffic Impact Areas
August 19-23, 2026
Traffic Impact Summary:
This map shows traffic congestion and one-way traffic patterns around the UAB campus during move-in week.
Affected Streets:
Traffic Congestion (expect delays):
University Boulevard (runs east-west along the northern edge of campus)
13th Street South (runs north-south on the western side)
14th Street South (runs north-south through campus)
One-Way Traffic (temporary routing):
16th Street South (between University Boulevard and 10th Avenue South)
The left-turn lane at 16th and University (eastbound), in front of Volker Hall, will be closed.
Campus Buildings Referenced:
Gold Hall (northeast area, near 16th Street South and 9th Avenue South)
Blazer Hall (north-central area)
Camp Hall (north-central area)
McMahon Hall (east side, near 10th Avenue South)
Blount Hall (west side, near 10th Avenue South)
Rast Hall (south-central area)
Campus Green (central area)
Parking area marked with "P" symbol (central-east area)
Important Service Notice:
Blazer Express South Green Route will be rerouted to avoid 10th Avenue South and skipping the Campus Rec and Rast Hall stops during this period Aug. 19-21.
Additional Information:
Track buses on the TransLoc Bus Tracker app.
Map provided by The University of Alabama at Birmingham