This Hockey Season, the Easiest Way Into Magness Arena Is on Foot

The corner of University and Buchtel boulevards is under construction. Since July, crews with Denver's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure have been rebuilding Buchtel Boulevard into what the city calls a complete street. The plan adds protected bike lanes, sidewalks and crossings along two miles. It also rebuilds five intersections: three on Buchtel at University, St. Paul and Colorado, and two on Evans at University and Colorado. The city expects the work to last about 18 months, with completion in late 2027.

Magness Arena sits on that same corner. The University of Denver's hockey team is the defending national champion. It won NCAA titles in 2022, 2024 and 2026, and the 2026 title was the program's 11th. Construction has changed the trip to the arena more for drivers than for anyone else. For neighbors in Observatory Park and University Park, walking or riding the train is now the simplest way to a game, and driving takes the longest.

What the Intersection Looks Like Right Now

For the week of Oct. 11 to 17, the city's project page listed a 24/7 full closure of Buchtel Boulevard between University and St. Paul Street. Detours sent traffic to Evans Avenue. The left turn from southbound University onto eastbound Buchtel was also closed. The right northbound lane on University was closed from East Jewell Avenue to the on-ramp for southbound I-25, which stayed open. The south sidewalk on Buchtel was closed to people on foot and on bikes, with detours to the north side and the trail.

Next, work moves from the east side of the intersection to the west side. The city page gives two estimates for that shift. One advisory says "around Oct. 20." Another says "around mid-November" and ties the shift to reopening Buchtel as far as St. Paul. That version also expects right-lane closures on southbound University once the shift happens. In both cases the closures move to the other side of the intersection without going away. On hockey nights, the city says the current detours stay in place until the east side reopens and the work moves west.

The $7 Lot Behind the Longest Drive

DU Athletics posted a parking and construction advisory on Oct. 8. It covers two changes, one in how parking works and one in how you reach the closest lot.

The first change is that every campus lot now uses license plate readers. When you park, you scan a QR code and enter your plate number, and enforcement on game nights goes by plate. Prices are:

• Lots 311, C and L: $12 per vehicle
• Lot 108: $7 per vehicle, and the only lot that takes cash on game days

You can buy parking ahead of time online for Lots C, L and 108. Season ticket holders can update the plate on file through their registration link.

The second change matters more. Lot 108 is the cheapest lot, but because of the Buchtel work, DU says you can't drive into it from University Boulevard anymore. To get there from University, the posted route is:

1. Turn east on Asbury Avenue.
2. Turn north on South Josephine Street.
3. Enter Lot 108 from Josephine.

The city expects more congestion on the detour routes during hockey events and heavy foot traffic to and from Lot 108. Asbury and Josephine are neighborhood streets, so for people who live along them, game nights now bring arena traffic onto their block.

The Arena's New Front Door Is a Crosswalk

The city has set up a pedestrian detour at the southeast corner of University and Buchtel. It runs north and south, connects to DU's Lot 108, and leads to the south crosswalk for crossing east and west. It is fully ADA-compliant, with ramps at both ends. The city asks walkers to allow an extra one to two minutes.

So walking adds a minute or two, while driving now means a loop through Asbury and Josephine. For anyone within walking distance of the Ritchie Center, walking in has become the more direct trip.

The light rail works the same way. RTD's University of Denver Station is across from the Ritchie Center at Buchtel Boulevard and High Street. DU's advisory asks fans to take public transit and links to RTD's live departures for the station.

The Home Dates Left in 2026, and What Else Shares Them

The first home weekend began Oct. 16. DU raised its 11th championship banner before a 7 p.m. faceoff against No. 2 Michigan, with a Banner Bash on the Ritchie Center's south lawn beforehand. DU comes into the season ranked first in the NCHC preseason media poll. After the Oct. 23–24 Homecoming series against Boston College, four home series remain on the official schedule before the end of the year. Several fall on nights when other things in the neighborhood are also drawing crowds.

Friday, Oct. 30 has the most going on. South Pearl's Final Friday runs from 5 p.m. until dark on the 1400 to 1600 blocks, with artist demonstrations, vintage vendors, music and food. That same night, DU's Lamont School of Music & Theatre performs Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims, with a second performance on Nov. 1. Fans hoping to see the Colorado College rivalry at home will have to wait until next year. The first meeting is Jan. 16, and the regular season ends with a home-and-home series on Feb. 26–27.

Saturday, Nov. 14: Two Crowds a Mile Apart

On the Saturday of Hockey Alumni Weekend, the Denver Astronomical Society holds a free open house at Chamberlin Observatory, 2930 E. Warren Ave., from 5:15 to 9:15 p.m. No tickets or reservations are needed. Lindenwood plays at Magness the same night. That means two large crowds will be heading toward DU's campus at about the same time, one toward the park and one toward the arena, while University Boulevard is still running with lane closures. If the city's mid-November estimate holds, the work may also be moving to the west side of the intersection around then.

If you'd rather go to the telescope on a quieter night, there is a second open house on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 9 p.m. Weather permitting, visitors can look through the observatory's 20-inch telescope and through members' telescopes set up on the lawn. No hockey is scheduled that weekend.

Before and After, on Evans and University

If you walk to the game, you go past a few places to eat on Evans and University, which is easy to miss from behind a windshield.

Stadium Inn, 1701 E. Evans Ave., dates to 1939, and its website currently lists its hours. The Pioneer Bar, 2401 S. University Blvd., says it has served the University Park and Observatory Park area since 2008, and its site currently shows food, drinks and online ordering. Hours change over a season, so check with either one before a game night.

Two other Evans storefronts have changed recently. Stoner's Pizza Joint opened at 1505 E. Evans Ave. in late August, according to Pizza Marketplace. Yemen Grill, 1135 E. Evans Ave., was listed as temporarily closed in Westword's August roundup and then appeared in Westword's September roundup as reopened. One former regular stop is gone. Pete's University Park Cafe at 2345 E. Evans Ave. closed on Nov. 9, 2025, as Westword reported.

The Newman Center has a quieter holiday option. "Christmas Dreaming with Stella Cole" is on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m., after the last home series of the calendar year.

The Corridor After the Cones

The construction will change the area for good once it's finished. The project includes protected bike lanes and sidewalks along Buchtel, new crosswalks next to RTD's Colorado Station, and new lighting and wayfinding along the corridor. The city has already posted photos of the finished bike lane, with its curb barrier and new sidewalk, west of St. Paul Street. The pedestrian detour and Josephine Street routing are temporary. Once the work is done, the corridor is built for getting to the arena by foot, bike and rail.

If you'd like to know how the Buchtel and University work reaches your own street in Observatory Park or University Park, between now and the late-2027 finish date, Casey Perry Properties is glad to walk through it with you. Request a private consultation.