The last time Service Road closed for construction, civil engineering senior Sean Fitzgerel said it was a hassle for those who parked in Lot 83 behind Holden Hall, commonly known as F Lot.
People who didn't know the road had closed to through traffic in summer 2003 got to where it was blocked and had to turn around, Fitzgerel said. The only access to the lot is from Service Road.
So when Service Road closes again April 1 for maintenance to the Simon Power Plant on the same road, he said it will be an inconvenience.
"It's already hard enough to get to this parking lot from campus," Fitzgerel said. "Most people who are in F Lot don't have to leave a lot, but those of us who need to use our cars to go to work, it's a little harder."
Upcoming renovations will temporarily close some campus roads through the spring. University officials say the work must be done before larger construction projects on the power plant and the intersection near the Sparty statue can begin this summer.
Service Road will close April 1 through April 30 to through traffic, but those who park in F Lot will be able to access it from an entrance near Harrison Avenue. Birch Road, from Shaw Lane to Kalamazoo Street, will close March 21 through mid-April, said university engineer Bob Nestle.
Birch Road will close to allow work to begin on the intersection of Chestnut Road, Kalamazoo Street and Red Cedar Road, where Sparty is currently located.
Although the actual work of changing the intersection and moving the statue will occur once students have left for the summer, this phase of construction will replace a steam line before the bulk of the work starts, Nestle said.
Redesigning the intersection - which includes moving the current statue into Spartan Stadium and replacing it with a new bronze statue to stand in a new plaza - is part of the university's 2020 Vision plan, a comprehensive plan for campus development through the year 2020.
Service Road is closing so officials can install water pipes, which will connect new cooling towers on one side of the road to a new plant addition on the other, Nestle said.
Students who park in F Lot will still be able to access it, and other facilities on Service Road will still be accessible, Nestle said.
Spanish freshman Lisa Howell said because of the high traffic volume on Service Road, closing it will create problems.
"It's not going to be a good thing, that's for sure," Howell said. "I know it needs maintenance, but they could at least wait till there aren't as many people up here."
But journalism sophomore Justin Kroll said he didn't think closing Service Road to through traffic would cause any significant issues.
"I'm hoping I'm still going to be able to get out to my car, but I don't really use that back side," Kroll said. "As long as these kids can get out of the parking lot, I don't really see it causing any major concerns."
