A campus cluttered with construction will soon yield new facilities and improved traffic flow and street safety in semesters to come.
In terms of road work around the University, the restriping of Burbank Drive to add a center turn lane has helped prevent traffic from backing up as cars try to turn on popular streets like Jennifer Jean Drive, East Boyd Drive and West Parker Boulevard.
Other road projects include work on Easy Streets II, which is aimed at making the campus more pedestrian and bike-friendly with the completion of work at the intersection of South Campus and Tower drives.
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.
Additionally, as a handful of construction projects are wrapping up this semester, bigger projects are on the horizon including new plans for Greek housing and another new residential hall.
The majority of projects still in planning phases have completion dates set for 2016, including the construction of the Alpha Phi sorority house in the location of the old Delta Chi house on sorority row and the construction of a second new residential hall in the north end of the Hart Lot, said Roger Husser, director of Planning, Design and Construction for Facility Services.
Other projects underway include the first two phases of the UREC expansion and redesign and the construction of Cypress Hall in the Hart Lot, which is set to be complete by Fall 2015, Husser said.
The new parking lot on Aster street built to offset lost parking from Cypress Hall is set to open Dec. 13, said Steve Waller, director of Residential Life.
Husser said construction on the third and final phase of the University Recreation expansion will begin in the spring with various parts of the UREC being roped off to students during construction while new areas will be opened for use as the project progresses.
The $6 million Career Services project in the Student Union will be completed this summer and will be available for students in the fall 2014 semester.
Additionally, the completion of Tiger Stadium construction is set for the day before the first home game of the fall 2014 football season.
Patrick F. Taylor Hall is expected to begin construction in the next few months. As construction is completed throughout the project facilities will become usable through phases of the project as they are completed. The constructions projected completion is estimated to be in 2017, Husser said.
Recently completed projects include the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory behind the School of Veterinary Medicine, which opened in November; the Animal Food and Science Laboratory; Annie Boyd Hall renovations; the LSU Hilltop Arboretum on Highland Road and the Louisiana Digital Media Center.