Beginning in March, University Facilities will embark on a major project that aims to enhance pedestrian safety and ease one of campus’ biggest traffic bottlenecks. Perimeter Road will be widened from two to four lanes between U.S. 76 and Cherry Road. The wider road will accommodate heavy traffic, especially in the mornings and late afternoons when employees and students are commuting to and from campus.
Traffic analysis shows that Perimeter is approaching the maximum capacity of a two-lane road, illustrating how it would function better as a four-lane road.
When the project is finished in about 18 months, weather permitting, the four-lane road will have two travel lanes in each direction, separated by a landscaped median, and a 10-foot multiuse path for pedestrians and bicycles along the north side of the road, connecting it to the Green Crescent Trail at Vineyard Road.
Drivers will begin to see the first signs of the project in February 2022 and construction is to begin in March 2022, according to Project Manager John Gambrell of University Facilities.
During construction, some short-term scheduled lane closures will be necessary. The timing of lane closures will avoid high-traffic events such as football games and graduation.
For information about this and other road projects, see University Facilities’ interactive map.
