Construction near Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium prompted Lawrence schools’ leaders to switch graduation locations – two days before the event.

Lawrence and Free State high schools’ graduation ceremonies will be Sunday in KU’s Allen Fieldhouse. The fieldhouse previously had been designated as the backup site in case of rain. Lawrence High’s ceremonies are set for 1 p.m., while Free State’s will be at 4 p.m.

Superintendent Randy Weseman said he received a call Friday morning from graduation organizers, worried a bump up in construction activity this week would hamper traffic flow and parking. Next door to Memorial Stadium, crews are digging a hole for a three-story building as part of the $31 million Anderson Family Football Complex. Two of those stories will be underground.

Weseman said construction had closed some traffic lanes and only one access exists into the nearby parking garage. “We didn’t anticipate traffic patterns to be that disruptive,” he said.

KU spokesman Todd Cohen said he hadn’t heard complaints of construction interfering with the university’s graduation last Sunday. Work stopped the Friday before.

Weseman said district officials hadn’t realized until graduation practice on Friday that construction had escalated since KU’s graduation. He said with two back-to-back graduations and thousands of people attending, traffic control and parking can be a problem even on a “good day.”

Seniors were notified of the switch Friday during practice.

“I don’t see this as a major inconvenience. I see it as something that is going to make it more convenient at this point,” Weseman said.