MSU’s campus might look a little different to students as they fall back into the routines of academic life.
Several construction-related changes have been made in and around MSU since the conclusion of spring semester, affecting the way students get around campus.
The intersection at Bogue Street and Shaw Lane, previously a roundabout, was replaced by a traffic signal this summer.
According to the Infrastructure Planning and Facilities website, the traffic circle did not comply with federal design guidelines, leading to its removal.
Michigan and Grand River avenues now are repaved and include bike lanes, while various projects around Brody Neighborhood continue. The steam tunnel construction along West Circle Drive also was finished and the end of construction has seen an expansion of bike lanes on the road.
Karen Zelt, communications manager for Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, said the bike lanes on West Circle Drive originally ended at the MSU Museum and resumed at Linton Hall, but MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon requested additional bike lanes be added to complete the loop.
“Bike lanes are being added as part of the steam project upgrades that are being finished up there, but they ended kind of abruptly, so (President Simon) asked that we restripe the road (to include the bike lanes),” Zelt said.
The south side of the trail along the Red Cedar River will be renovated in the coming weeks, undergoing construction to make the trail similar to the portion extending from Kellogg Center to the Sparty statue.
The section from Wells to Erickson Halls will be reload from Sept. 3-13, while the portion from the Sparty statue to Wells Hall is under construction from Sept. 16 to Oct. 25.
During construction, Zelt said these portions of the trail might be inaccessible.
The Capital Area Transportation Authority also is implementing changes to several different bus routes. The CATA Route 39 bus will be traveling more frequently, while the CATA Route 31 bus now will run along Grand River Avenue to Michigan Avenue, instead of along West Circle Drive.
A complete list of route changes can be found on CATA’s website.
CATA Executive Director Sandy Draggoo spent Tuesday on campus reaching out to the community and emphasizing the accessibility of MSU’s ?public transportation system.
“We want (new students) to be able to take that bus pass and be able to use it and know exactly how to get to each of those classes, so that they can not be hesitant to get on that bus,” Draggoo said. “That’s exactly why we’re out here.”
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