<p>We will be making our first gameday trip to UA for the Texas A&M game this Saturday, and have a few travel questions for the gameday veterans:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Coming from the Atlanta area, I have heard that it is best to take I-20/59 directly through Birmingham (vs. I-459 bypass) and then hook up with Route 216 (exit 100, ~30 mi east of Tuscaloosa) vs. taking I-20/59 all the way to Tuscaloosa & McFarland. Is this in fact the best route from Atlanta?</p></li>
<li><p>If it typically takes 3:30 door to door, how long can we expect it to take us on Saturday?</p></li>
<li><p>Does buying a Lot B Medical Center pass ahead of time on-line guarantee you a spot in this lot, or do you have to be there by a certain time?</p></li>
<li><p>Is Lot B Medical Center the parking lot directly to the west of the Student Health Center and the University Medical Center (tall skinny yellow lot on the 2012 Gameday Parking Map)?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I haven’t taken I-459 on gameday, so I’m not too familiar with that.</p>
<p>AL-216 is a little out of the way; exit 79 puts one directly on University Blvd. and doesn’t have much, if any, traffic on gamedays. Even on non-gamedays, many people use it as a way to get to Birmingham quicker as McFarland Blvd. is often backed up.</p>
<p>When we went to the game on parent weekend (which we understand didn’t have all the hoopla as an SEC game has) we parked in the free garage downtown. I think we parked around 11 or 11:30 (plenty of spots available). The game was at 3 maybe. Anyway, we ate downtown and shopped a little, and then took the $1 trolley down to the campus to visit the quad. That worked well for us and we will probably try that again next time we are in town for a game.</p>
<p>I travel I-20 to 459 about every two weeks or so traveling to and from Tuscaloosa from the Atlanta area. Where in the Atlanta area is your starting point? Where are you planning to stay in Tuscaloosa? Taking 459 saves me about 15 minutes, the road is better, and I can choose to stop to shop at the Summit if I wish. I wasn’t able to take it once about a month ago and I timed it. I was over two weeks ago and had no issues with construction going over on 459, but there was some on the return trip. There is ALWAYS construction on 1-20 around Anniston, and once you cross the state line into Alabama the speed limit drops to 55 (I have been know to challenge this, although I am not advocating for it) for quite a while even though there is no construction.</p>
<p>I am interested in an answer to the reserved parking question . If you buy a parking pass online for lot b med center, are you guaranteed a spot no matter what time you arrive? We Are also driving in on a game day and dont know what time we’ll Arrive</p>
<p>There’s an easy short cut to bypass McFarland that takes you through an older, residential area.</p>
<p>From University Boulevard, take Hackberry Lane toward Jacks, the RR tracks, and 15th Street</p>
<p>Cross 15th Street at the light and continue on Hackberry Lane/Hargrove Road past Monish Park on your right</p>
<p>You’l go around a curve and through a few traffic lights and the road is renamed Hargrove Road. You’ll see signs for Forest Lake Baptist Church and University Place Elementary School on the left near the traffic light once you’ve gone through the curve. There are 2 traffic lights pretty much back to back here, so watch out.</p>
<p>It should be about .6 miles on Hargrove Road until you reach 2nd Avenue East on your right at the next set of lights…the left side of the road is Forest Lake Drive, but the right side is 2nd Avenue East…TURN RIGHT</p>
<p>Continue on 2nd Avenue E crossing speed tables for about .05 miles and turn left at the dead end/stop sign to 32 Place East</p>
<p>In approximately .2 miles, turn right onto 3rd Avenue East…remain on 3rd Avenue East as you cross speed table, go straight through the red light, and you’ll cross a bridge over the interstate. You’ll be on 3rd Avenue East for about .9 miles total until you reach Skyland Boulevard where you will take a left. Continue on Skyland Boulevard, cross McFarland Boulevard at the traffic light, but remain on Skyland Boulevard and pass Sam’s Club and Walmart after you stop for gas and You’ll run into the on ramp for I-20 East shortly after you pass another section of Hargrove Road (but you’ll remain on Skyland.) This is the 2nd Cottondale exit off I-20 W that I recommended you take on your trip in. It’s a quick and easy way to avoid McFarland and the on ramp to I-20 on McFarland which backs up terribly.</p>
<p>bamagirls - Thank you for your reply and pm. Couldn’t reply via pm due to insuffucient # of posts.</p>
<p>We have traveled numerous times to Tuscaloosa via 459, and have always found it to be easier and faster than I-20 directly through Birmingham. However, we have never traveled that route on a gameday Saturday, and the UA Gameday site states that there were delays on 459 (between I-65 and the merge back on to I-20/I-59) of up to an hour on every 2011 gameday, and thus recommend taking I-20.</p>
<p>Have you taken 459 specifically on a gameday?</p>
<p>We want to make sure that we have time to enjoy the entire gameday experience, and want to know how much time we might need to add to our typical travel time.</p>
<p>I have, but we generally travel early in the morning or the evening before a game. Sorry, I can’t really say you won’t have an issue if you are traveling closer to game time. It might be best not to take 459 if you are in doubt and traveling late. If you do, pay attention and look ahead on your GPS or smartphone for traffic alerts if you can.</p>
<p>I don’t remember the number for the later Cottondale exit, but I’d recommend taking it. It’s the one AFTER you pass Tuscaloosa Chevrolet on your left. You want to make sure you have completely past the exit for Tuscaloosa Chevrolet and take the next one. If you miss it and end up taking the McFarland exit, you can turn left at the light beside Krystal’s (I think BB& T is there, too. Krystal will be on your left and I believe BB & T on your right. You’ll pass Holy Spirit on the left and then some run down apartments. When you reach the traffic light, turn right onto 3rd Avenue and then just reverse my directions back to Hargrove Road where you’ll take a left. It will run you back to 15th Street which you’ll cross and then you’ll be on Hackberry Lane. It will take you back to University Boulevard.</p>
<p>Just a suggestion make sure you have subscribed to UA Gameday …they will tweet and email road closures as they occur…always a goo d thing to know :)</p>
I wasn’t able to take it once about a month ago and I timed it. I was over two weeks ago and had no issues with construction going over on 459, but there was some on the return trip. There is ALWAYS construction on 1-20 around Anniston, and once you cross the state line into Alabama the speed limit drops to 55 (I have been know to challenge this, although I am not advocating for it) for quite a while even though there is no construction.</p>