Four crosswalks identified as problematic last fall were scrapped and rebuilt during the winter break.Dennis Mitchell, campus landscape architect, said it’s “a little scary” to do construction during a break because it’s hard to communicate with different departments. He said, however, the construction has gone smoothly and should have been completed for the first day of class. The four construction locations include South Stadium Drive at West Stadium Drive, North Stadium Drive at West Stadium Drive, Dalrymple Drive at Infirmary Drive and South Campus Drive near the Laville residence halls.More visibility is one key reason the University began its project to reconstruct crosswalks on  campus.Mitchell said after researching the problem, the departments decided a change in material on the pavement would cause vehicles to slow down. Lamp posts will be installed on both sides of the crosswalks in the next month, Mitchell said. This construction project is the first phase the Offices of Development and Parking, Traffic and Transportation have planned for the crosswalks on campus. “As funding becomes available, [we] will work out the next stage,” Mitchell said. “All the crosswalks should be consistent.” Mitchell said the project costs approximately $20,000 per crosswalk, and the Office of Development is under its budget of $88,000 for the construction of the first four crosswalks.Gary Graham, Parking, Traffic and Transportation director, said they are working on a study to make recommendations for improving bike routes, traffic flow and pedestrian safety. The draft report should be ready in the next three weeks, Graham said. Kevin Cope, Faculty Senate president, said the Senate has been discussing improvements for crosswalks because they are concerned with pedestrian safety. The LSU Police Department reported 23 pedestrian accidents from vehicles on campus between 2003 and 2008. Eight of the accidents occurred in a crosswalk, and the most common areas were on Dalrymple Drive and Highland Road. LSU spokesman Capt. Russell Rogé said he doesn’t know of any reported pedestrian accidents after Oct. 15, when a University student was hit by a vehicle on Nicholson Extension.
 
 
 
—-Contact Joy Lukachick at [email protected]