Drivers and bikers who rely on West Johnson Street may need to adjust their routes starting March 31 due to construction that should last until Nov. 15.
Construction on West Johnson Street will begin at Randall Avenue and end at State Street, while renovations on Campus Drive will extend from the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad tracks to Orchard Street, according to Michael Statz, project manager.
Construction at Broom Street and Randall Avenue will precede major renovations at West Johnson Street expected for late May, Statz said.
\We have to get [Broom Street and Randall Avenue] done first before we can start the detour route,"" he said.
Advantages of construction include improved intersections, storm and sanitary sewer and water main facilities, as well as added safety measures such as new street lights and more visible crosswalks between Library Mall and the Southeast Residence Halls, according to Statz.
Additionally, Statz said he thinks aesthetic improvements are necessary ""since West Johnson Street drives through the heart of the UW-Madison campus"" and is ""the gateway to the university.""
Aesthetic improvements will include additional trees and shrubbery replacing destroyed grass and gravel, Statz said.
The detour route will send traffic to Dayton Street, which will be one-way during construction. As a result of detours, temporary traffic lights and bus stops will be added to Dayton Street, Statz said.
Residents and business owners on West Johnson Street might experience parking woes and brief utility loss during construction, Statz said.
""There may be temporary shut-off [of utilities],"" he said. However, Statz said those affected will be notified before outages occur and detours change.
""We're really going to do our best to try to communicate with people,"" he said.
According to Statz, UW-Madison students moving into apartments on West Johnson Street may experience difficulties in August.
""We know there's going to be access issues when [students] move into apartments,"" he said.
However, people will have the opportunity to voice concerns during the construction, according to Senior Project Engineer Warren Mohar.
""We will have a field office for the duration of the project,"" he said. ""[People] will be able to track us down.""
Tom Marks, assistant hotel manager of Howard Johnson-Plaza Hotel, 525 W. Johnson St., said he fears the project will have a negative effect on business. Though Statz said parking availability will be a priority during construction, Marks said he is also concerned that guests will have difficulty parking because the project will force them onto an already-cramped Marion Street.
""[Marion Street] is going to be cluttered,"" he said.
