West Virginia Universitys Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) will be closed May 11-Aug. 14 for maintenance.

PRT employees will be making structural repairs, replacing some cables and sections of power rails and installing closed-circuit TV, public address and message board systems, among other things, said Hugh Kierig, director of transportation and parking.

The purpose of the repairs is to provide long-term maintenance of the system and fleet and improve the functionality and reliability of the service,Kierig said.

The installation of the public address system with electronic signage will enhance communication between PRT operators and passengers, he added.

During the hiatus, WVU will offer free shuttle serviceproviding pickup and dropoff at current PRT stopsto accommodate students and others affected by the temporary closure. (Note: Although the PRT will not be in service for Commencement Weekend, May 15-17, plenty of free parking will be available on campus. More information on the Net: http://commencement.wvu.edu/maps )

Shuttle service will begin May 18, the first day of the summer term. Days and hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The shuttle will run its route every 30 minutes. (A map of the shuttle route will be posted online at http://transportation.wvu.edu/ this week.)

Students, faculty and staff are also reminded they will continue to have free access to all local Mountain Line bus routes in operation during this period with their WVU ID .

PRT rides will resume Aug. 15prior to the start of the fall semester (the first day of classes is Aug. 24).

For more information, call the Department of Transportation and Parking at 304-293-5502.