The event the University community has spent the past year preparing for has finally arrived — along with news trucks, reporters, security officials, debate personnel and, most importantly, the candidates.
The vice presidential debate between Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin begins at 8 p.m. tonight in the Field House in the Athletic Complex.
By mid-afternoon, Big Bend will close from Forsyth to Wydown. Forsyth also will close to all traffic at Asbury. Local traffic will be permitted on Forsyth between Asbury and Jackson.
In addition, access to the Danforth Campus will be severely limited Oct. 2.
Pedestrian access to the campus Oct. 2 will be primarily limited to Skinker and Brookings, Throop and Forest Park Parkway and Wydown at Wallace.
The only way to access the Danforth Campus by car on debate day will be to take Skinker to Brookings Drive.
Traffic between Hoyt and Wallace on Forsyth will be limited to University traffic only. No traffic will be permitted between Hoyt and Skinker on Forsyth.
Traffic may exit, but not enter, campus at Hoyt and Forest Park Parkway and at Throop and Forest Park Parkway.
Snow Way Drive between Throop and Snow Way Garage will be limited to VIP and law enforcement officials with proper credentials after 3 p.m. Oct. 2. Snow Way Drive west of Snow Way Garage will be closed to traffic.
Traffic also will be restricted in the South 40 area of campus. All traffic accessing the South 40 will enter through Wydown or Wallace and Forsyth. The Shepley Drive entrance at Big Bend will close by 3 p.m. on Oct. 2. At 10 a.m., a two-way traffic plan will be implemented on Shepley Drive. All northbound traffic on Wallace will be blocked near Lot 48. Two-way traffic on Shepley will be blocked just west of Lot 54.
Public and campus transportation routines also will be altered. MetroBus service to campus, Forsyth and Big Bend will end at 10 a.m. Oct. 2. Access to MetroBus service will be available at Skinker and Forest Park Parkway.
A Metro representative will be at the stop to answer questions about service, and Metro will post signs at Mallinckrodt Student Center to advise riders of schedule changes.
The University-operated Campus Circulator will provide service from Lot 4 to Mallinckrodt from 10 a.m. until the end of its normal schedule Oct. 2.
Metro will resume its normal schedule Oct. 3.
Other workout locations
The University has arranged for those who typically use the Athletic Complex to exercise to have access to alternate workout facilities.
The South 40 Fitness Center will admit those with a photo ID and a McWilliams Fitness Center membership. If both cannot be displayed, there is a $5 per use fee.
Bally’s Total Fitness on Forsyth in Clayton, Mo., has agreed to allow Athletic Complex patrons who provide a WUSTL ID card and sign a waiver use of its facilities. The Center of Clayton, located at 50 Gay Ave. in Clayton, also will allow those with a WUSTL ID card use of its facilities. The cost will be $4 per visit.
More information about these and other alternate sites is posted on bearsports.wustl.edu. Call the Athletic Complex hotline at 935-4705 for more information.