Construction on campus has officially created a whole new morning routine for student drivers turning the track field into a temporary parking lot.

The sudden move comes after construction started on the church, St. Kieran, located in the middle of campus. Work is currently underway to update and repair the building, requiring heavy machinery, construction workers, and safety cones to occupy the central grounds.

Normally, students would just park along the sides of the gate and around that general area. But with the crews and heavy equipment taking up all that space for safety and operational needs, there was nowhere left for anyone to leave their vehicles.

To fix the major space issue and give students a reliable alternative, the school had to open up the track field as a makeshift lot.

The new setup is pretty straightforward. Students pull through the field gates in the morning and park single file right along the track. A long line of cars from big pickup trucks to small sedans sit bumper to bumper along the track, right next to the grass football field. Drivers have been using a single file line to make sure everyone fits and to ensure that there is still room for students to use the track.

This dramatic shift in layout directly impacts the daily flow of campus traffic. Because all vehicles must filter through a single entrance gate onto the running track, congestion forms quickly during early arrival hours.

Leaving extra time in the morning is pretty much required now to get through the school line and grab a spot without being late for class.

It’s definitely an unusual sight seeing a row of cars parked right where people usually run laps, but it’s been working surprisingly well so far. For now, student drivers will just have to adapt and stick with parking on the track until the church construction finishes up and the usual spots open back up.