Marquette University traffic and pedestrians will continue to be rerouted on 16th Street while it remains closed during the construction of the Wellness and Helfaer Recreation. The road is closed because of the construction which includes new raised crosswalks, new curbs on both streets and pavement replacement.
Kevin Conway, the associate director of university communication, said that the 17th Street construction was planned to be completed on Oct. 22 and 16th Street on Nov. 8. However, students should still expect some reduced or closed lanes close to the work site until December.
Conway said that the project team has worked with other campus departments along with surrounding communities who would be affected to help reroute traffic.
“The project team has worked together to create alternate routes around the disturbed sidewalks and crossings to help pedestrians. In addition, temporary ramps will be provided to allow access to the accessible route into Schroeder Complex for students and visitors,” Conway said.
Their goal was to close one street at a time to minimize the disruption to campus along with commuter students. Parking Lot N is open for patients that visit the Physical Therapy services at Schroeder Complex.
The construction involves moving materials and creating utility connections. One of the main components of the new Wellness and Helfaer Recreation Facility is to increase student safety around the site. This includes adding the raised crosswalks to both streets, which will help serve students along with clinical patients that are going to Schroeder Complex. Raised crosswalks are the same height as a sidewalk and span the width of the street, they are intended to slow down drivers and make pedestrians more visible, helping improve road safety.
The Wellness and Helfaer Recreation Facility is set to be finished by late 2024 and will provide students with a space supportive of both physical and mental health. It will be located on the southwestern side of campus near Clybourn Street.
This story was written by Ruby Mulvaney, she can be reached at [email protected].
