Construction season arrives, campus traffic detoured

Traffic patterns will be altered on several campus-area streets again this summer as the final phase of the East Campus Utility Project began on Monday, May 17. The work is expected to continue through mid-August.

Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians should be aware of the following closures and detours:

• Observatory Drive from North Park Street to Lot 11 at Bascom Hall will be closed due to an underground utility project and reconstruction of a portion of the roadway at the curve.
• North Park Street between University Avenue and West Johnson Street will be closed in both directions, with the exception of deliveries to the Vilas and Grainger loading docks from Johnson Street.
• Langdon Street will be one-way westbound between North Lake and North Park streets. Vehicle access to Lot 1 at Memorial Union and the Helen C. White ramp will be maintained throughout the construction period.
• North Park from Langdon to University Avenue will be one-way southbound.

The Route 80 campus buses will travel West Johnson Street to Lake Street, Lake to Langdon, and Langdon to North Park Street. They will pick up passengers at the Route 85 stop in front of Memorial Union.

Both the 80 and 85 buses will head south on Park to University Avenue, take University west to North Charter, turn right onto Charter, then left on Linden Drive. Riders can catch either bus at the University Avenue stops at Park and Mills streets.

The 85 will take Linden Drive to Babcock, Babcock to Observatory, and then turn right. It will stop at the intersection with Charter Street and resume its regular recess route. Recess service will begin on both campus bus routes Sunday, May 16.

The Memorial Union will be open throughout the construction period.

“Construction will limit the number of parking spaces right next to our building in Lot 1 between the Union and the Red Gym, and in Lot 6 under the Helen C. White building,” says Paul Broadhead, Wisconsin Union assistant director for facilities. “But there is plenty of nearby ramp parking, especially in the Lake Street ramp.”

Find more information on campus visitor parking.

Due to construction, however, the Memorial Union’s Park Street box office will be closed from May 16 to Aug. 15.

Customers can buy tickets at the Campus Arts Ticketing Box Office located at University Theater (Vilas Hall, entrance on East Campus Mall), 821 University Ave. Or tickets can be purchased online, by phone at (608) 265-ARTS, by fax at (608) 265-5084, or by dropping off an order form at the Wisconsin Union Theater, 800 Langdon St.