Construction projects around campus and the downtown Madison area will cause traffic problems beginning in mid-May and extending through summer, forcing commuters to find alternative routes around campus and the city.
Observatory Drive between Park Street and Bascom Hill is one of the bigger construction projects on campus, according to a news release sent out by the university. Observatory will be closed between May 18 and Aug. 24 to lessen traffic near the School of Education building during the construction.
Bus routes 80 and 85 will be affected by the construction, but alternative routes have not yet been confirmed.
Rob Kennedy, senior transportation planner at UW-Madison, advised students and faculty to be prepared to take alternate routes around campus.
Kennedy also said northbound access to the central campus between mid-May and mid-June will only be available via Babcock Drive and other streets on the west end of campus.
From May 18 through mid-June, Sterling Hall will also be renovated. Charter Street will only be accessible in the one-way southbound lane between Linden Drive and University Avenue.
In addition, the area surrounding the new south campus union will undergo construction beginning around May 20.
According to the statement, reconstruction of University Avenue will prevent access to Babcock Drive from mid-July to September.
The City of Madison completed several construction projects last year. The revamping of State Street and the opening of East Campus Mall were completed at the end of summer 2008.
