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Last year's NJIT commencement ceremony at the Prudential Center in Newark. A series of college graduations is expected to tie up traffic in downtown Newark all week.

(John O'Boyle/The Star-Ledger)



NEWARK — A series of large college graduation ceremonies is expected to dramatically increase morning and afternoon traffic in downtown Newark today and for the remainder of the week, city officials warned.

The Prudential Center will host four commencement ceremonies this week and another next Friday. Each ceremony is expected to draw tens of thousands of people and snarl major arteries leading in and out of the city and the Mulberry Street area near the arena.

The traffic problems began this morning as New Jersey Institute of Technology hosted its 9 a.m. graduation at the Prudential Center. Graduates and guests leaving the ceremony are expected to cause traffic congestion downtown until 3 p.m., city officials said in an alert.

The Prudential Center will host Rutgers-Newark's commencement Wednesday, Kean University's ceremony Thursday and Seton Hall Law School's graduation on Friday. Essex County College will also hold its ceremony at the arena May 30.

A city alert said drivers should expect extra traffic congestion downtown: Wednesday and Thursday between 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Friday between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.; and May 30 between 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Some downtown streets may be closed during those periods, city officials said.

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