Richland Avenue will be closed from Monday, March 2 until late August due to the construction of the pedestrian passageway.
Richland Avenue will be closed between West Green Drive and Bobcat Lane until Aug. 28, 2020, according to an Ohio University news release.
The Richland Avenue Pedestrian Crossing Project is a partnership between the city of Athens and OU. The project will lift the road where the crosswalk is by Porter Hall. This will allow pedestrians to walk under the road.
This will help with traffic congestion as well as OU’s biggest safety concern, Chief Facilities Officer Steve Wood said in the news release.
To access Uptown from Richland Avenue, drivers can turn left onto South Shafer Street, then turn right onto West Union Street, until the intersection with Congress Street. To leave Uptown Athens, drivers can follow the previous route.
The south lane of Bobcat Lane will be closed on Monday for its median removal, which is expected to be a one-day closure.
That lane will be closed again on Thursday, March 5, for the installation of temporary lighting at the intersection of Richland Avenue. This is expected to last between 8 a.m. and noon.
There will also be two pedestrian paths made available: one that is ADA-accessible and one that is not. The ADA path takes pedestrians from Baker Center, down Oxbow Trail, through Bicentennial Park and over to The Convo. Pedestrians can then walk across to West Green.
The non-ADA pedestrian walkway goes from Baker Center, under Richland Bridge to West Green.
The pedestrian pathway is planned to be opened on Aug. 7, and all construction is planned to be finished on Sept. 11.
