KU News Release

Portion of Jayhawk Boulevard closed to allow vital construction on steam tunnels

UPDATE 6/13/08: Memorial Drive will dead-end at Mississippi Street on Saturday, June 14. Traffic may still enter Memorial Drive from West Campus Road but will not be able to turn onto Mississippi Street. Northbound access from Memorial Drive to Mississippi Street is scheduled to reopen Sunday, June 15.

UPDATE 6/3/08: Beginning June 4, Indiana Street will be closed between 11th and 12th streets. The closure is scheduled to last at least until Aug. 15. The first day of classes for the fall semester is Aug. 21. The developers of the Oread Inn requested the closure, citing safety concerns. Work crews are digging a 50-foot hole for a parking garage, and a large crane will be in place for part of the construction.

LAWRENCE — In preparation for vital repairs to campus steam tunnels, Jayhawk Boulevard between Mississippi Street and Lilac Lane is closed to vehicular traffic until May 25. Pedestrian traffic is limited to the south side of the street through that area.

Contractors have begun digging a trench approximately 15 feet wide and 15 feet deep. The trench, which will allow workers access to the tunnels, will begin west of Watson Library, cross Jayhawk Boulevard, follow northeast along Mississippi Street and end immediately west of Dyche Hall. A security fence will be constructed on both sides of the trench.

The repairs are the first phase of a three-year, $8.9 million project to replace century-old utility tunnels, parts of which were hand dug.

Construction will continue throughout the summer and accommodations will include:

— Jayhawk Boulevard will be closed again between Mississippi Street and Lilac Lane from July 1 to Aug. 11. It will remain open between Mississippi Street and the Chi Omega Fountain.

— Mississippi Street will be closed from Memorial Drive to Jayhawk Boulevard from May 20 to Aug. 11. It will reopen as a one-lane, southbound-only street from Aug. 11 to Nov. 11.

— Sunflower Road and Lilac Lane will remain open throughout the project.

— Buses will use Memorial Drive during the closure.

— To accommodate bus traffic, parking will be prohibited on the north side of Memorial Drive during the project.

— To compensate for the lost parking spaces, faculty and staff with any KU Parking and Transit permit — red, blue, gold, park and ride, and garage permits — will be able to park in the Mississippi Street garage for free during this period.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.