Getting out of Tuscaloosa has become a nightmare

GP for Bama

All-American
Feb 3, 2011
4,328
1,090
187
Flyboy, where you park is a difficult place to get out.
Here is what I would do:
1.) From the soccer field lots try to go back toward the softball stadium and then onto Jack Warner
Parkway.
2.) Head east on Jack Warner until you have to turn right onto Crescent Ridge Road.
3.) Crescent Ridge runs into University Blvd.
4.) Turn left onto University...go all the way on University until it runs into I-59/20 in Cottondale.
Should be pretty smooth sailing from there. I suspect this could save you a good hour and a half.
Like everyone says....avoid McFarland at all costs.

PS----Not to rub it in, but I am lucky, live in Tuscaloosa, about 10 miles from the stadium. I can usually get home before Nick finishes his radio show (and I never leave the game early).
 

Jessica4Bama

Hall of Fame
Nov 7, 2009
7,307
12
57
Alabama
I didn't have much of a problem getting out, but I left right after that INT because I thought the game was over. I know shouldn't have left, but I did.

I do apologize for my crazy driving on the way home, however.
 

Rama Jama

All-American
Jan 4, 2011
3,303
240
82
Tuscaloosa
Here is a route onto the interstate in 10 minutes once you hit Jack Warner Parkway. You have to go toward downtown on Jack Warner(River Road to those of us over 50). Go straight past Greensboro Avenue turn and past the Tuscaloosa Amp on Warner Pkwy. Turn left right past The Tuscaloosa News offices. Turn left at the light and turn right and you'll be on 359. Stay away from the part of campus that routes you toward McFarland. Anything on the east side of campus will route you toward Mcfarland. Or you can park at Central high school and pay 20 bucks and be on the interstate in about 10 minutes as well.

RTR
 

theballguy

Hall of Fame
Nov 5, 2012
6,268
1,083
187
Roll Tide Roll, Colorado USA
... You can get into Northport wayyy easier than anywhere else. We'd always change out of our MDB uniforms and go to Jimmy Johns.

Does that help your problem? No. But the message is that if you're creative, you won't end up stuck on McFarland with everyone else...

There's no shame in traveling 10 extra miles to cut two hours of time off of your driving.
We like to go through Northport and camp at Moundville after a game. Yeah it takes an hour to an hour and a half after we decide to leave but it makes it fun. I know some folks can't do that though.
 

CrimsonTide13

Suspended
Aug 12, 2011
304
0
0
Huntsville, AL
I was at my truck in the soccer fields at the end of regulation. Timed it perfectly with pretty minimal traffic...I hate being the guy that leaves early...if I didn't it would add 3 or 4 hours to my drive. I hate traffic.
 

acbl_phill

Scout Team
Aug 25, 2010
105
0
0
Birmingham
I was at the game. I left the stadium when the game ended. Walked back to my car parked near the pratice field and jacks. Got back to bham before 7:30. At 7:30 I was at Hop City drinking a beer.

I had a friend show me a really quick way to 20/59 last year, you have to drive through a neighborhood. But I would appreciate it if everyone keeps driving down McFarland, hwy 11 and 359 to get out of Tuscaloosa.
 

uaintn

All-American
Aug 2, 2000
2,904
192
182
franklin, tennessee, usa
OP -- Avoid McFarland at all costs. The routes described here are some I have used, especially Jack Warner. But this Saturday night went pretty well. I stayed till the bitter end of the game and came out Gate 17. I stopped by the Quad for a minute to say good bye to friends. I walked to my parking spot by the Health Center (yes, long walk but I needed to burn off some frustration anyway). Turned out of the parking lot, one light change to turn on to University. Followed it straight out. I did not sit through two changes of lights but one time. I got on 20/59 at the Mercedes plant, no waiting to merge. It was pretty close to speed limit conditions, though it slowed just a bit at 459. My family makes fun of how slowly I drive, but doing close enough to the speed limit to avoid tickets and with a stop for gas and the bathroom, I was back at home in middle Tennessee shortly after 10. Again, get on anywhere but McFarland. Alternatively, if you are willing to sit around the stadium to avoid the crowds, just watch the post game press conference, spend time on the Quad. You'll be late getting home, but if you wait 2.5 to 3 hours after game time to start your trip, you'll be behind most of the traffic. Going up through Jasper works very well too, if you are headed north, but I don't recommend you drive it the first time at night.
 

CrimsonPride

1st Team
Dec 9, 2001
909
1
137
62
Chattanooga, TN
We live in Chattanooga and have been going to home games for over 25 years. We stay at hotels in B'ham because the ones in T-town have always been sold out. For it to be only 40 miles, it has always been a long drive on game days. It used to take forever to get to T-town for a game back when they all started at 11am because everyone would be on the road at the same time to get there. With the games starting later, the trip to the game is back to normal (usually no more than an hour) due a gradual procession to the game.

Leaving after game has always been a pain. With the stadium expansion the past decade and people realizing that they can now be part of the game day experience whether they attend the game or not, it has gotten much worse. So, it is actually more than 102,000 leaving at the same time. Although we always stay until the very end, I kind of understand why a lot of people start leaving in droves midway through the 4th quarter.

I realized that with at least 15,000 cars on I-59 at the same time that the flow of traffic should be slower. However, what my mind refuses to accept is why the traffic has to come to a complete stop with top speeds of 20 mph until the interstate opens to 3 lanes? :conf2: It seems like we should all be able to be on there going 45-50 mph. I know this will never happen but this has been bothering me for almost 30 years.

We have taken various routes to back B'ham after games: I-359 to I-59/20, I-359 to Skyland Blvd to I-59/20, and highways 215 or 216 to I-59/20. No matter which way we choose, that 40 mile drive still takes between 3-4 hours. For the games that start at 8-8:30, by the time we get back to our hotel it is at least 3am. My sister, whose flight back to Maryland usually leaves at 6am, doesn't even bother going to bed.

Since one of us is disabled, we park at the Campus Drive parking deck. If anyone has a better/quicker way for us to get to B'ham (Academy Dr) after the game, please PM me. I promise I won't tell anyone else:)
 

dayhiker

FB|BB Moderator
Staff member
Dec 8, 2000
8,726
3,848
337
Pell City, AL
I mentioned this briefly in another thread, but I want to go into details. Here is how my Saturday night went after the Bama game against A&M.

6:15 - Game ends and I start to look for a way to get out of the stadium. I waited for everyone to fill past because I hate to jump into a group of people.

7:15 - I arrive at my car in the parking lot next to the soccer fields. The lot is packed and nobody is moving. I sit in my parking space for the next 30 minutes.

8:15 - I finally make it on to McFarland Blvd. only to see nothing but cars for miles in front of me. I wind up sitting in traffic on McFarland Blvd. for 1 hour.

9:15 - I turn onto I-59/I-20 toward Birmingham. Traffic moves about 25-30 mph until the interstate turns to three lanes. After that traffic picked up to a normal pace.

10:15 - I walk into the house and fall onto the couch only to fall asleep minutes later.

I understand that 102,000 fans went to the game and traffic will not be as normal, but something has got to give. We have added nearly 20,000 seats over the last six years but the infrastructure has not kept pace. Extending the third lane on I-20/I-59 all the way to Tuscaloosa would help a lot. Making both lanes on McFarland Blvd. move away from campus for a few hours after the game would help. But, something has got to be done to build up the infrastructure in order to get people out of Tuscaloosa and back home in a reasonable amount of time.

Rant over.
So we the people need to spend about $100,000,000 to widen those lanes for 6 football Saturdays a year so that people don't have to sit in traffic?
 

TideJunkie

BamaNation Citizen
Dec 28, 2011
72
0
0
Union Grove, AL (population 73)
I'm bummed because my nephew graduated last year. He had an apartment two blocks from the stadium on Paul Bryant Dr. Always went down on Friday night and stayed at his place, walked to the tailgates and game, stumbled back and the drove home on Sunday. No hassles.
 

JTH

1st Team
Sep 23, 2006
440
91
47
40
Woodstock GA
So much parking has been taken away over the last few years, it is forcing everyone to park together. This makes traffic worse than it has ever been. We always used to park on Jack Warner along the river and walk up to the stadium. When we left we would just run Jack Warner to Helen Keller to University to get out of town. This year they have taken away Jack Warner and forced many many people to park elsewhere.
 

uafan4life

Hall of Fame
Mar 30, 2001
15,608
7,414
287
43
Florence, AL
I went to the SEC championship game in 2009 and drove in and out of Atlanta in no time. Tuscaloosa is simply not capable of handling traffic the way Atlanta can. And yes, three hours to get out of Tuscaloosa is a bit much. Everyone has a line, even if that line is different for everyone. If three hours is not a concern for you, fine. But what about if it took three days to get home? Threee months? Everyone has a line, and will complain at some point, no matter how much someone loves Bama. And I do love Bama, but I did not love sitting in traffic for four hours.
If it takes you 3 hours to get out of Tuscaloosa after a game then you're doing it wrong.


I've been to more than a handful of games and it's never taken me 3 hours just to get out of Tuscaloosa. Heck, it's probably never taken me much more than 3 hours to get back to a hotel in Birmingham - which is usually what we do for later games. And I don't leave early. I stay until the clock hits zero and, if it's a win, until the last Rammer Jammer cheer.

Did that this season, in fact, for the Mississippi State game. We stayed in a hotel near Homewood. After Rammer Jammer finished I looked at my watch, we picked up our stuff, and headed out of the stadium and towards the car. Once we got to the car my wife asked me how long I thought it would take to get to the hotel and I told her that it would be a couple of hours or so, depending upon traffic. When we got to the hotel I looked at my watch and noticed that it was exactly 2 1/2 hours from when I had looked at my watch as we were leaving our seats.

Btw, I use the free parking deck (when I get there early enough to get a spot) downtown, ride the shuttle in before the game, walk back to the car after the game, and then hit 359 to 59/20 towards Birmingham.
 

RT3413

All-American
Sep 14, 2004
2,176
0
55
Atlanta, GA
Let me get this straight. Traffic stinks so you don't want to go cheer on the team. Hmmm.

Greg McElroy played 3 games with broken ribs.
Eddie Lacy has played the last 10 games still suffering from a turf toe.
Tyrone Prothro.
Mark Barron tore his pectoral muscle and sat out two plays before he came back in.
Brandon Deaderick played 10 days after being SHOT. By a gun.

Yeah, I think you're right... they don't need our support... we should avoid the games since traffic is so darn tough.

</soapbox>
 

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