The good news is that all the roads on Cornell University's campus — including those that have been closed for construction for most of the summer — will be open Friday (Aug. 20).

The bad news is those roads will be clogged with thousands of cars as some 3,200 new students arrive at Cornell to move into residence halls and attend a weeklong series of orientation events. Over the following week, another 1,000 students will return to Ithaca to register Aug. 24-25 and prepare for the beginning of classes Aug. 26.

Preparations have been under way for weeks.

"We're as ready as we'll ever be," said John Durbin, field services manager for Cornell's transportation department, which will be assisting Cornell Police in managing the traffic flow. In addition, retired faculty members volunteer to staff information outposts on routes leading to campus. More than 200 student volunteers also will be on hand to assist in giving directions, unloading vehicles and parking.

Sections of University Avenue, East Avenue, Central Avenue and Caldwell Road that have been closed for construction will be open Friday to handle the influx of vehicles, though a portion of University Avenue will be closed again after this weekend.

Durbin advises that Ithacans try to take alternate routes to campus Friday beginning at 8 a.m. Stewart Avenue, Campus Road, University Avenue, Triphammer Road and Pine Tree Road will be major routes taken by incoming students.

A series of events to welcome the new students has been planned by a student Orientation Steering Committee, which works with the Office of the Dean of Students. These include:

• President Hunter Rawlings officially will welcome new students and their families to Cornell at the President's Convocation Saturday, Aug. 21, at 9 a.m. in Barton Hall.
• The annual information fair starts Friday and continues Aug. 21, 23 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Ho Plaza. Merchant associations, the Chamber of Commerce and other businesses and agencies from the local community will welcome students and share information about their goods and services.
• Rawlings and other university officials will meet with students and their families at a welcome reception on the Arts Quad Friday at 3:30 p.m.
• The Cornell chimesmasters will present a special concert on the newly tuned and expanded bells from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Friday. The concert will be repeated Monday, Aug. 23, at 11 a.m.

Collegetown merchants will welcome new and returning students with a music festival Wednesday, Aug. 25, from noon to 3 p.m. More than 30 merchants have joined to present live music and special discount offerings on the day before classes begin. Portions of Dryden Road and Eddy Street will be closed to traffic during the festival.

Opening day is second only to Commencement in the number of extra people who come to campus, Durbin said. A committee of representatives from Community Relations, Cornell Police, Transportation Services, the student Orientation Steering Committee, Campus Life, Environmental Health and Safety and the Department of Grounds meets to tweak the plan every year. In addition, discussions are held with city officials and the Ithaca police and fire departments to ensure that everything — especially traffic — runs as smoothly as possible.