Holiday Construction to Alter Roads, Walkways

Students and staffers will return from winter break to a changed campus, as UT Dallas ramps up its plans to build new education facilities and overhaul some existing ones.

The time between semesters will give construction crews the freedom to handle a few otherwise-disruptive projects.

In some cases, the changes will require students, faculty and staff members to take new roads and walkways to get around campus.

Pardon Our Progress   Click on the map icon to chart the UT Dallas construction plans.

DRIVING

• Safety precautions will require closing Rutford Road.  Use during the spring semester will be limited to buses, emergency and service vehicles, and personally owned vehicles accessing handicap spaces. 
• Roads on the southern end of campus will also be affected. Construction of a traffic circle will affect visitors entering campus on University Parkway.  The work will block access to Drive A, portions of which will disappear entirely as part of the campus enhancement project. 
• Drivers going north on University Parkway  will have the option of turning west into Lot J behind the Activity Center or veering to the northeast  along Armstrong Drive.    A temporary information booth will be set up for visitors needing help.  The existing information booth will be removed to make way for the traffic circle.

AROUND THE MALL

Before it becomes more user-friendly, the central part of campus will experience a few growing pains.   The campus, enhancement project will interrupt foot traffic on the mall in several key ways.

• For all of spring semester, pedestrians will not be able to enter the Student Union from the east-side doors.  The building will be accessible from the north and south entrances only.
• Pedestrians may have to change their routes to McDermott Library as well.  Entrances from the mall will be closed.  The main entrance will be from the north side near Lot G.
• Despite the construction, the central part of campus will have east-west crossing points at Library Plaza, near the current location of Drive A, and between Lot J and SOM.

BUILDINGS

• A continued makeover of the Founders building will be noticeable from the outside.  A construction fence will keep students from entering on the ground floor. Only the building’s third floor, which will be accessible via sky bridge, will be open for use.
• A disused building will be leveled to make way for the University’s new Math, Science, Engineering and Teaching Learning Center.  That demolition is slated for demolition the week of Jan. 12.

PARKING

• Continued construction on the Dining Hall Addition west of the Student Union will close Parking Lot K. New parking spots are available east of the School of Management in the newly opened Lot Q, which has spaces for 200 cars.
• There will also be a new lot behind the Multipurpose Building – for administrators, VIP visitors and visitors with disabilities.  The spaces there will be assigned.
• Emphasis has been made on increasing the available parking for drivers with disabilities.

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