When students leave Grounds for the summer, Facilities Management gets to work. Renovating major roads and buildings where both foot, car and bus traffic frequent the most can be a challenge during the year and opting to do it during the summer is a way to minimize disruptions. 13 projects are ongoing or have been completed thus far, but the total number is subject to change.
One of the two largest disruptions to traffic is at the three-way intersection of McCormick Road, Rugby Road and University Avenue, with repaving work closing through traffic on McCormick. The closure began May 19 and will last through July 18. Emergency vehicles and trash pickup will be permitted through the intersection.
Another major intersection closure is the intersection of Emmet Street and Jefferson Park Avenue, which started June 9 and will run through Aug. 1. The closure is to accommodate construction of the Verve, a new off-Grounds apartment building for students.
Of course, not all students leave Charlottesville for the summer. And both of these intersections are major thruways which will be closed for several weeks. For the students who choose to remain on Grounds during the summer, the construction does not necessarily minimize the disruption.
Rising third-year College student Suryan Athreya remained in Charlottesville this summer to work in a research lab at the University. He said that the disruptions have not been substantial for his daily commute, as he takes the Orange Line, which does not run through closed intersections.
Both University Transit Service and Charlottesville Area Transit buses are operating on modified routes through the intersection. The CAT’s Trolley, which is a free shuttle between the University and the Downtown Mall, will stop in front of the Rotunda on University Avenue instead of the University Chapel on McCormick Road. The Green Line and Gold Line buses for UTS will run down Emmet Street instead of McCormick Road. The Green and Gold Lines will also avoid Hereford Drive for a closure taking place there through July 31.
Athreya said the only disruption he experienced was when drove to the Aquatic and Fitness Center and had to take an alternate route because of the closure at the three-way intersection.
Students who live in Charlottesville over the summer are not the only consideration however, as thousands of new students and their parents will begin to arrive in Charlottesville over the course of the summer for Summer Orientation. These high-traffic weekends could put a strain on the road infrastructure, constrained by construction.
“I haven't seen much … because it's the beginning of the summer,” Athreya said. “But I assume by orientations … that it'll ramp up. Because I do remember when I was here for orientation, it was just construction galore.”
Athreya said he had friends tell him about the worsening traffic during a reunion that took place over the weekend, saying they referred to it as an “absolute nightmare.”
Athreya did say that all closures that he has seen are marked with signs informing of the dates for which the road will be closed.
Overall, the University is completing relatively minor updates to Grounds after past summers saw more extensive projects and closures. Other minor projects the University is completing are renovations to ceilings and scaffolding on East Lawn and the closure of Colonnade Alley.
The University is also working on construction for the Fontaine Central Energy Plant, the University’s first fossil fuel-free power plant. According to Facilities Management, the plant will provide power to the Manning Institute of Biotechnology initially, but will ultimately shift to providing power for the entire Fontaine Research Park.
A full and updated list of construction on Grounds can be found on the Facilities Management website.
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