Peace will soon be restored at the intersection of South Campus and Tower drives as construction is on schedule to be completed in about three weeks, said Gary Graham, director of Parking and Transportation Services.
Since August, the intersection has been congested with cones and orange construction tape blocking off certain parts of the road to students and directing traffic around the construction, with different areas getting roped off daily based on where work is being done.
The construction has caused confusion as work in the area has shifted from one part of the road to the other, making it complicated for bikes, pedestrians and cars to share the road.
Graham said it has been difficult doing the project in pieces, but it was the best way to manage pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area.
The roadwork is all part of phase one of Easy Streets II, a plan designed to make the campus more pedestrian- and bike-friendly.
Parts of the first phase of Easy Streets II have already been completed, like the new extra-wide sidewalk added to create a pedestrian thoroughfare at the north end of Tower Drive between South Campus Drive and the Union Theater.
The other component of Easy Streets II, phase one, is the addition of the crosswalks at the intersection of South Campus and Tower drives and the permanent closing of Tower Drive to vehicles between South Campus and South Stadium Drive to make campus more pedestrian-friendly.
“The only reason we are able to do this is because it doesn’t impact daily operations of campus,” Graham said. “Other parts include work on Dalrymple Drive, which will be done over the summer.”
Graham said although the work causes temporary inconvenience for people on campus, it is all part of the larger Easy Streets II plan to make campus more navigable.
“Having to do it in piecemeal has been a challenge.”