Improvements are coming to West Virginia University’s Evansdale Campus to provide better access to the new Evansdale Crossing and existing Student Recreation Center and Student Health buildings.
However while the improvements are underway, pedestrian and vehicular traffic will be affected.
The creation of Morrill Way and the development of parking at the former Communications Building site will create temporary restrictions as earthwork prepares the site for Morrill Way from Patterson to the Crossings and Rec Center.
Two parking lots will be temporarily closed during the construction. Lot 51 behind the Museum Education Center is already closed and Short Term Lot 9 behind the Creative Arts Center will close beginning Monday, May 4.
While these parking lots are undergoing construction, the University is opening up the band practice lot at the Coliseum to provide more spaces on the Evansdale Campus.
Also to help ease traffic flow during the summer construction, the gate dividing Evansdale Drive in front of the Evansdale Residential Complex (Towers) will be open.
Ultimately these changes will improve access to the lower portion of the campus and allow students, staff and visitors to enjoy the Evansdale Crossing and new academic spaces. Bus drop offs will also be relocated to the Crossings after the construction is completed to create a hub to the PRT and Downtown Campus.
“One of the planning goals for the Evansdale Campus was to reduce pedestrian and vehicular interaction and make the entire campus more accessible, walkable and safe,” said Randy Hudak, associate vice president for Facilities and Services.
When construction is complete in the fall, he said, hundreds of new parking spaces will be available near Evansdale Crossing and the Student Rec Center.
Other changes this summer include removing the current bus loop near the Mineral Resources Building, routing bus traffic by Evansdale Crossing instead. Evansdale drive will be shifted in that area to keep pedestrians from having to cross the roadway on their way to the engineering buildings.
Workers will post electronic message boards to indicate when portions of roads will be closed or disrupted.
Keep informed of construction changes at construction.wvu.edu and by following @WVUConstruction on Twitter.
-WVU-
dm/4/28/15
CONTACT: Phoenicia Keffer; Public Relations Manager
304.293.5147; Phoenicia.Keffer@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.