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It seems that the University of Louisville has been under construction since 1798. Most recently, U of L has undergone construction on the corner of Eastern Parkway and Third Street, as the corner will soon be sporting a new set of beautiful concrete stairs leading up to the buildings on Third. Other construction projects on campus can be seen on the corner of Cardinal Boulevard and Fourth Street, near the Student Activities Center, and in the front of the Miller Information Technology Center. Each project intends to cater toward the betterment of student life and campus beautification. Unfortunately, the construction has caused issues relating to student safety, as it has become increasingly difficult for students to navigate the construction and arrive at classes safely.
The construction of Cardinal Towne on Cardinal and Fourth has managed not to interfere with student life when it comes to walking to classes, as has the construction near the SAC. However, the work on Eastern and Third has not been so easy to navigate. The work near the intersection has blocked one lane of traffic and prevented students from using the sidewalk. To counteract the lack of a sidewalk, orange barrels block the construction vehicles, allowing students a narrow avenue for walking near moving automobiles and close to open traffic.
The university clearly has student safety in mind.
“There were instances where students were having to walk basically down the middle of the road,” said John Drees, U of L spokesman. “Obviously that’s unsafe.”
Drees speaks the truth. There have been many students maneuvering around the machinery and barrels, watching oncoming traffic as they venture out into the road to avoid the work. Those who walked within the barrels inside the work zone had to sidestep parked work vehicles and carefully navigate snow-covered slick areas within the allotted walking area. On top of the inconvenience of the narrow path, students have dealt with the filth involved with the muddy runoff from the hill being worked on, causing further aggravation.
Minor annoyances aside, the safety of students should be on the forefront of university concerns, while construction sites are popping up all over campus like Starbucks franchises. Drees has addressed safety concerns by stating that alternative walkways are available to students who worry about arriving at classes on time.
The problem is that there aren’t. If, by alternative walkway, Drees means “walk all the way around Speed School” or “walk in the middle of the street,” then sure. These alternative walkways are available options for students. The term in and of itself implies that, since the sidewalk is closed, there is an alternative route in place for students who walk along Third Street to get to class. By that definition, the only alternative walkway is the small space between the barrels and the construction, exactly one text-messaging driver away from being mowed over while walking to class.
Drees has also discussed the implementation of signage that will indicate alternate routes around campus and the closure of sidewalks. The work on the intersection of Eastern and Third needs no indicator of closure, for sure. Signs indicating routes around the construction remain to be seen.
While campus beautification is important to the university’s image, safety should be the No. 1 consideration. If a moving car flails into a group of students, who is going to pay for all of this construction?
