$8.3M construction project to disrupt traffic patterns

Eileen McClory
Fri, 24 Apr 2015 02:34:04 +0000
Area, Campus, Local, Photos, construction, Magruder Road, osu, Stillman Hall

Magruder Rd. behind Scott Laboratory will be closed until mid-May due to a project that’s extending chilled water lines from East Regional Chilled Water Plant to all of the buildings along 18th Avenue. Credit: Megan Buskirk / Lantern Photographer

Magruder Rd. will be closed until mid-May. Credit: Megan Buskirk / Lantern Photographer

Magruder Rd. is set to change from diagonal parking on a one-way street to perpendicular parking on a two-way street. Credit: Megan Buskirk / Lantern Photographer

The view of Magruder Rd. from W. 19th Ave. Credit: Megan Buskirk / Lantern Photographer

Magruder Rd. will be closed until mid-May. Credit: Megan Buskirk / Lantern Photographer

Some upcoming construction projects, which are set to cost more than $8 million, are set to disrupt on-campus traffic patterns.

Most of 18th Avenue will be shut down to vehicle traffic beginning in May to allow for a project to extend chilled water lines from the East Regional Chilled Water Plant to all of the buildings on Celeste Quad on 18th Avenue, said Justin Moss, spokesman for Administration and Planning. Pedestrians will still be able to walk down 18th Avenue using existing walkways and some temporary walkways.

The $8.3 million project includes multiple aspects that are expected to be completed by December 2016, Moss said. The Stillman Hall parking lot will be closed to create access from 17th Avenue, 18th Avenue will be closed between Magruder Road and College Road , and Magruder Road will close behind Scott Laboratory. College Road at 18th Avenue is also set to be closed.

Construction on Magruder Road and the Stillman Hall parking lot is set to be completed in mid-May of this year. Alternative parking is currently available in the Arps Garage and in the Ramseyer Hall lot, according to the CampusParc website.

While College Road is closed, northbound traffic will be routed onto 17th Avenue and southbound traffic will be routed onto 19th Avenue, according to an OSU site that lists traffic patterns on campus.

Magruder Road is also set to change from diagonal parking on a one-way street to perpendicular parking on a two-way street, Moss said, and more spaces are set to be added.

The construction on Magruder Road has annoyed some students with classes in Smith Laboratory.

“It’s moderately annoying,” said Rachel Ghindea, a second-year in architecture. “I normally do enter (Smith Laboratory) from the side doors, so I have to walk around to get in.”

Sarah Solomon, a first-year in biology, said she is worried this construction would impact students going to and from their classes.

“The construction would be pretty annoying,” she said. “We’re already blocked everywhere we go (by construction).”