Over the next two weeks, construction projects will begin on North Road, lower South Road and Lake Avenue North resulting in significant changes to parking and the flow of traffic on and around the campus.
South Road/Lake Avenue North
Beginning the week of April 29, the southbound lanes on Lake Avenue adjacent to the campus will close and all traffic will be detoured onto the northbound lanes, which will carry two-way traffic, one lane in each direction, as detailed in this project overview. This restriction will run from the entrance to Regatta Point to the Shaw building.
Simultaneously, the lower end of South Road will be closed and a temporary access road opened using part of the adjoining MassDOT property. This temporary roadway will connect with upper South Road and provide access to the campus from Lake Avenue. No parking will be allowed on the temporary roadway.
This new traffic pattern will eliminate left turns from Lake Avenue North into the Shaw Building parking lot. To access the Shaw Building lot, northbound drivers will have to travel past the building and make a U-turn near the entrance to Regatta Point, then head back toward the Shaw building and turn right into the lot.
This work is part of the MassDOT Burns Bridge replacement project. This traffic pattern is expected to be in place through August.
North Road
Beginning on May 1 all parking spaces on North Road and in the lot adjacent to the library will be closed to prepare for reconstruction of the roadway, the parking lot and associated curbing and sidewalks.
Faculty, staff or students who now park along North Road or in the library lot may use the other unreserved parking areas on the campus, such as the Pine Tree lot or level six of the First Road garage.
During construction, ambulance access along North Road will be maintained at all times. The clinical parking lot, power plant lot, and short-term parking spaces for the credit union will remain in use. Deliveries to the loading docks will not be affected.
During this project the sidewalks along North Road will be closed, and pedestrians detoured around the Albert Sherman Center (ASC) for access to the main campus. Public safety personnel will be on site daily to regulate vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
This project is a final element of the ASC construction program. Over the past three years, the roadways in the area and sections of the library lot have been disturbed at various times for access and utility needs of the ASC. Now, with the building completed, North Road will be resurfaced and the associated curbing and sidewalks that need restoration will be addressed. At the same time, the parking area adjacent to the library will be rebuilt and enhanced with some plantings.
This project is expected to last through August. Once completed, the parking lot adjacent to the library will become a gated lot for those who purchase reserved parking on campus. The lower North Road parking area will return as an unreserved parking lot.
