As students pile onto campus for the beginning of school, many may be shocked to see the changes that campus is undergoing.
The most noticeable of all the changes is Malfunction Junction, or, rather, its disappearance. According to parking manager Sgt. Vic Nickels, MSU is better off without the confusing piece of infrastructure.
“Malfunction Junction had been a problem area for years. It was impossible for traffic to move in such a jumbled mess,” Nickels said.
In place of several stoplights, there is now an uninterrupted strip that runs all the way from Russell Street to President’s Circle. This new stop light-free road is meant to keep traffic rolling smoothly, though Nickels warns about entering the area.
“You may find trouble if you attempt to enter Creelman Street from any other side street. The continuous flow of traffic from Russell Street to President’s Circle will leave it to the drivers as to whether they choose to let a car into the line,” Nickels said. “Don’t count on it.”
Another problem area is Lee Boulevard. A strip of road in front of Lee Hall near The Union will allow only one-way traffic this semester due to construction on an addition to the Lee Hall auditorium. Transportation officials urge drivers not to go down this road the wrong way and to pay attention to signs. Officers have been placed at problem intersections in order to keep traffic going.
“It will be extremely important to consider the route that you need to take this semester before getting into your vehicle,” said Nickels.
Nickels suggests that students and faculty consider the best entrance according to where their assigned parking zone is located.
For example, he said, students assigned to park in the Commuter East zone should enter the campus from Hardy Road, which passes by the gravel pit, or from East Lee Boulevard close to the Highway Patrol Station.
In order to make travel around campus easier, the MSU shuttle services will also be running. Riding the shuttle is free, and five different shuttle routes cover the main areas of campus.
“It’s going to be difficult. We just hope to survive. Get here early and walk,” said Nickels.
According to Nickels construction will continue throughout the year.
“This is just the beginning of the big plan. We look forward to paving the gravel pit, the changes at Lee Hall, working on McCool Hall, and getting improvements for the bookstore, so we will be dealing with construction for a long, long time,” he said.