UNLV students will find some campus parking lots closed as presidential debate approaches

UNLV students should plan for a lengthier and more laborious commute as preparations for the presidential debate take over the campus.

The third and final debate between presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton isn’t until Wednesday, but setup starts as early as Friday.

And for students, that means saying goodbye to the largest group of on-campus parking for the next week or so.

The university will close five lots and a parking garage near the Thomas and Mack Center — where the debate will be held — starting Friday, according to the university’s website. The other smaller parking lots around campus will remain open.

Students will be able to park at the Orange Lot, which is located directly across Swenson Street west of the Thomas and Mack, as well as at the Economy Parking Lot at McCarran International Airport. A shuttle will take students to and from those lots from campus on Monday and Tuesday only, according to the website.

UNLV also debuted a new 610-spot parking garage on the southeast part of campus that they hope will stem some of the parking issues.

“We have worked to essentially offset the parking that we are losing,” said Vince Alberta, senior associate vice president of marketing, communications and brand strategy for the university.

Back in August, university officials advised professors to move classes off campus for the week of the debate if possible.

Some students will have to be on campus for class next week and are worried about next week’s parking plans.

Brian Alonso, a 20-year-old criminal justice major at UNLV, said he is expecting major delays next week. Like many others, Alonso commutes to campus and said he usually leaves about an hour before his first class starts.

Alonso said he will play it safe next week and leave up to two hours before his first class.

The university said all campus parking lots and garages will be open for normal use starting the day after the debate.

Contact reporter Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.