The reconstruction of McKinley Avenue will not only cause drivers to take detours but will affect pedestrians as well.
The sidewalks will be closed and inaccessible to pedestrians, Jim Lowe, director of facilities assessment and engineering, said.
Besides McKinley Avenue, all approaches to the Neely Avenue and Petty Road intersection will be closed to drivers, he said.
The cowpath leading from LaFollette complex to Riverside Avenue will be accessible at all times and Lowe said it should be used to travel north and south on the west side of campus.
"If I'm on foot, you still have the same avenues to get to those facilities [and] any facility on campus, with the exception being I can't use McKinley to do it," Lowe said. "There is only a few exceptions, I might be able to walk out of Teachers College and travel south down to Riverside."
The toughest accessibility problem Lowe sees is the Robert Bell Building, which is surrounded on all sides.
"They are on kind of an island," Lowe said. "There is certainly still emergency egresses so people can get out of the building if they have to."
Construction for the new communication building on the south side of Robert Bell will be ongoing. The main entrance of the building will still be accessible, even though the sidewalk will be blocked because of construction. However, Lowe said that entrance should be avoided.
Pedestrians should make a horseshoe from the north entrance to loop around to the Cow Path and travel south, he said.
Students who have a disability and need to use the shuttle bus will be picked up in the R2 lot across from Robert Bell.
The patio in front of the Atrium will remain open, and people can view construction while they are eating, Lowe said.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to keep the dust down so you're not breathing dust while you're out there. But, if you want a bird's eye view of the construction and want to eat your lunch, you certainly will have that right there," he said.
Pedestrians traveling the once-quick path from the Art and Journalism Building to Bracken Library will be diverted for the next four months, as well. There will be no temporary structure in place for pedestrians to cross over the construction, Lowe said. Students should walk down to Riverside Avenue if they want to get to and from the east and west sides of campus by foot.
"It's going to be a pain for three months, I realize, but that's the growth pain," Lowe said. "It will be a beautiful summer anyway. It'll be a great day for a walk."
During the past week, Lowe acknowledged that some pedestrians have not been obeying posted "sidewalk closed" signs and have been crossing the construction site, which Lowe discourages.
"The best response I can give is to not cross," Lowe said. "We just need people to follow the signs."
The Indiana Department of Transportation only requires that signs be put up, and Lowe said it is impractical to string fences up all around the site.
Drivers will also have options to access various points on campus.
To access the east side of campus from the north, Lowe said drivers should take Bethel Avenue to New York Avenue then turn onto Neely Avenue. After that, drivers should cut through parking lots.
To access buildings from the south, Lowe said drivers can turn off of Riverside Avenue and drive into the restricted lot between the Applied Technology Building and the Art and Journalism Building
"There will be absolutely no parking lot that will not be accessible," Lowe said.
MITS buses following Route 16, or the Wal-Mart route, will turn off of Riverside Avenue onto New York Avenue and resume their route on Bethel Avenue, according to a MITS official.
McKinley Avenue is scheduled to reopen August 13.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
