photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Construction cones to guide traffic during KU dormitory move-in day await to be deployed on Aug. 11, 2025. KU's Daisy Hill student housing complex is pictured in the background.

It is a big week for dorms — and perhaps, delays.

The University of Kansas has three days of dormitory move-ins scheduled for this week, which means thousands of students, family members or others who got suckered in to hauling furniture will be in Lawrence.

Not only will additional motorists be in Lawrence, they’ll be driving on a city street system that already has some of its key thoroughfares under construction. That’s a recipe that could lead to backed up traffic if you don’t know what to expects, or worse yet, take a wrong turn.

Here are a few key items to know, with some geared to visitors to town and others aimed at locals who are seeking to avoid the mess.

• Tuesday. Residents will be moving into: the HERE apartment complex near 11th and Mississippi; the Hawker complex near 10th and Missouri; McCarthy Hall near Allen Fieldhouse along Naismith Drive; and Jayhawker Towers along 15th Street on the KU campus.

It has been a good idea for more than year now to avoid the area near 11th and Mississippi streets, due to the construction of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. On Tuesday, it is a great idea to avoid the area, if possible.

•Thursday. Life is not always full of daisies, and waiting in the lines to move into the Daisy Hill student housing complex at 15th and Iowa streets is a reminder. Thursday is Part I of the Daisy Hill migration. Halls that are part of that day include Self, Templin and Ellsworth. Outside of the Daisy Hill area, move-ins will be happening at Naismith Hall near 19th and Naismith Drive, Stouffer Place at 19th and Ousdahl, and the various scholarship halls in the Oread neighborhood between Ohio Street and Jayhawks Boulevard.

Areas to avoid, if possible, include 19th Street, 14th Street west of Massachusetts Street, Bob Billings Parkway just west of Iowa Street, Clinton Parkway just west of Iowa Street.

• Friday. It is Part II of Daisy Hill move-in day. On Friday, Oswald, Hashinger and Downs are on the list, as is the final portion of Stouffer Place. Outside the Daisy Hill area, Corbin and GSP dorms will have their move-in day. Both of those stretch between Indiana and Ohio streets along 11th Street.

Areas to avoid, if possible include everywhere that is mentioned on Thursday’s list. The GSP and Corbin move-in process will route residents along 14th Street, then up Oread Avenue and Indiana Street. Departing traffic from those dorms will be heading southbound on Mississippi Street, sough of 11th Street. So, that’s an area to avoid too. In general, be wary of the KU parking garage next to the Kansas Union, as that is where residents of those two dorms are being instructed to park on move-in day.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

The section of Iowa Street between 15th and 23rd streets, pictured Aug. 11, 2025, remains under construction.

• Iowa Street. It seems appropriate to say a special word about Iowa Street this year. Actually, we can’t say the special words on everyone’s mind in a family newspaper. The section of Iowa Street between 23rd Street and 15th Street has been under construction for months. The road is down to one lane in each direction. Local motorists surely have already figured out to avoid this area on any day, let along move-in day.

If you are a visitor to town, though, know this: If you go north of 23rd Street/Clinton Parkway or south of 15th Street/Bob Billings Parkway, you have made a terrible mistake. That section of street is going to do you no favors in getting to your move-in destination.

You mostly likely would be on Iowa Street if you are moving into the Daisy Hill area. If you are coming from the south (meaning you are driving north), turn west (also known as left) at the Clinton Parkway and Iowa Street intersection. From there, you are going to turn right on Crestline Drive. Follow the signs through the winding roads of KU’s West Campus. They’ll lead you to the Lied Center parking lot, where you will be able to see Daisy Hill but will need to go through a maze of orange cones at a turtle’s pace before you actually get there.

If you are coming from the north (driving south), turn west (right) onto Bob Billings Parkway. You then will turn left on Crestline and have a short drive to the Lied Center parking lot.

If you are a local, you know what those paragraphs mean: All those intersections are going to be heavily congested on Thursday and Friday. I would expect a significant amount of westbound traffic creating a line of slow-moving vehicles on 23rd Street as well.

If you are trying to plan your day, expect move-in activity from about 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m..

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

An employee moves construction cones on Aug. 11, 2025 in the Lied Center Parking lot ahead of KU dorm move-in day.

• 19th Street. If Iowa Street doesn’t provide you enough to think about, also beware of 19th Street. KU is directing lots of residents to 19th Street on both Thursday and Friday for move in at Naismith, Stouffer Place and elsewhere. All the traffic on 19th Street will need to come from the east of because turning off of Iowa Street onto 19th Street isn’t going to happen, due to construction.

However, getting onto 19th Street from the East is also a bit tricky, currently. That’s because the intersection at 19th and Massachusetts streets remains closed for a city construction project. There is a chance the intersection may be open by Thursday, but the city hasn’t yet provided any definitive information. The city’s work schedule calls for an opening in “mid-August.” Parents of nearby Cordley Elementary also are likely rooting for an opening. The first day of classes for that school is Wednesday. If I get an update from the city, I’ll pass it along.

If the intersection isn’t open, motorists will need to look for another option to connect to 19th Street. Louisiana Street or Naismith Drive would be options. However, note that Lawrence High is located along Louisiana Street, which means it will have its own congestion at certain points during the day. The first day of classes at LHS also is Wednesday.

KU last year year had just more than 6,000 students living in university housing options, ranging from dorms to scholarship halls, according to figures from the university.