By: Nicole Saxton
The University will be temporarily closing Stadium Drive for several weeks. The road will be closed off from the entrance on West College Avenue to the Football Center.
In attempts to keep the people of the community safe, the road will be shut down for construction. According to the email sent out to students, faculty and staff members, the State of North Carolina is financing a large portion of the construction, to build sidewalks and add lighting alone the road.
Closing off the roads will affect the people of the community who drive pass the University because students will need to reroute and use the main street, causing a build up off traffic.
Stadium Drive is the primary road used to access the apartments and the suites. Senior Tanner Burch, living in the student apartments, says he will have to take extra steps just to get to his room. “It’s inconvenient because I’ll have to go thru the stoplight, then through traffic, then go through all the speed bumps. It’s just not efficient time wise,” Burch said.
Students will still have access the apartments and the suites. Instead of using Stadium Drive, students can turn on either Sprint Street or Cantrell Street from West College Ave. Both streets run into Casey Martin Drive, taking the students to their parking lots.
Stadium Drive is a long road with a tight curve near the football center. Burch thinks the sidewalks will add safety to the pedestrians. “People swerve to miss the runners all the time which is extremely risky,” Burch said.
Many students and locals run along the perimeter of the school; using the long hill on Stadium Drive to work out. The road will be closed to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, so people will have to find a new workout area.
Stadium Drive is also the entrance to the Football Center, which poses as a problem for many athletes. Student-athlete Jordan Smith uses the Football Center for weight lifting, with the road shutdown he said, “It’s going to mess up my day trying to get up there.”
Athletes who use the Football Center will have to take Bulldog Circle, around the back of the stadium to reach the football parking lot.
Students use Stadium Drive every day for many purposes, but The State of North Carolina knows closing off the road is needed for safety purposes.