Between Valley Mills Drive and Irving Lee Street — home to campus’s closest H-E-B — the southbound I-35 frontage road has been cut down to one lane since mid-2025. Its completion, along with other parts of the project, such as a new intersection at Valley Mills, will improve the driving experience in the area. But for now, traffic has swelled on the street where students make their final right turn into the H-E-B parking lot.
Browsing: Road Closures
Announced to Baylor students via newsflash email in the evening of Sept. 15, the closures begin with a full shutdown of the eastbound 18th Street, which will reopen by 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19. Following the removal of the 18th Street bridge, the email said that westbound 17th Street will be closed from Sept. 21-24. The highway itself will remain open throughout the removal of the bridges, the email stated.
Since coming back to school, many have complained about I-35 construction. But road construction is also challenging drivers on La Salle, and the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization has plans to bring the busy street back into shape — and keep pedestrians and drivers safe.
Lori Fogleman, assistant vice president of media and public relations, said there are multiple parking solutions available to students, faculty and staff after the closures begin. Students with parking passes for the Dutton garage and Lot 38 can park at the Ferrell Center, where additional express shuttles will take students to multiple locations around campus every 10 minutes. Additionally, students can park in any available faculty and staff spaces on campus after 2 p.m. Thursday.
Despite the 45,000 people set to fill up McLane Stadium this weekend, parking will not be a concern on game day, said Drew Vincent, a member of the Waco Downtown Development Cooperation.
