Campus Life

Gale Lemerand Drive to close temporarily for underground utility work

Most of Gale Lemerand Drive between Stadium Road and Museum Road on the University of Florida campus will be closed starting May 1 as workers upgrade underground utilities.

The work will be finished by August 14, and signs will be posted directing traffic to detours as the work progresses. In addition, updates, detour maps and other project information will be posted at http://www.facilities.ufl.edu/news/ut172.html

The work will be carried out in four phases:

Phase 1 – Gale Lemerand and Stadium Road closure – six to eight weeks

This phase will include the construction of a temporary right turn lane from the southbound lane of Gale Lemerand Drive onto Stadium Road. All other traffic movements through the intersection will be blocked. Detours will be posted at Fletcher Drive, Woodlawn Drive and Museum Road. Local traffic will be allowed to access parking and service areas at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium from Stadium Road, and the Tolbert Housing Area and Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering area from Gale Lemerand Drive. Deliveries to Gator Dining will be allowed from Stadium Road west of Gale Lemerand. The scooter parking at Weil Hall will be closed.

Phase 2 – Gale Lemerand Drive from Stadium Road to Tolbert parking area – Two to three weeks

Traffic will be allowed on Stadium Road through the Gale Lemerand intersection east and westbound. Southbound traffic on Gale Lemerand will be directed east or west on Stadium Road. No southbound traffic will be allowed on Gale Lemerand Drive. Northbound traffic on Gale Lemerand Drive will be detoured east and west on Museum Road. Service traffic will be able to access the College of Engineering area through the southern driveway (between buildings 183 & 719), entering from Museum Road, and the Tolbert parking area will remain open. Reserved and ADA-designated parking in the College of Engineering area will remain open. Orange decal parking may remain open but is discouraged as substantial ingress and egress delays may be experienced during construction.

Phase 3 – Gale Lemerand Drive from Tolbert Parking Area to Materials Engineering – Two to three weeks

Traffic will be allowed on Stadium Road through the Gale Lemerand intersection east and westbound. Southbound traffic on Gale Lemerand will be directed east or west on Stadium Road. Southbound traffic on Gale Lemerand Drive will be limited to service vehicles only. Northbound traffic on Gale Lemerand Drive will be detoured east and west on Museum Road. Access to the Tolbert parking area will be from the southern entrance only. Reserved and ADA-designated parking in the College of Engineering area will remain open. Orange decal parking may remain open, but is discouraged as substantial ingress and egress delays may be experienced during construction.

Phase 4 – Gale Lemerand Resurfacing from Museum Road to Stadium Road – Two to three weeks

The final phase will include intermittent daytime and nighttime lane closures between Museum Road and Stadium Road as crews install curbs and gutters, a traffic separator, curb ramps and a sidewalk, as well as asphalt paving. Access to service and parking during hours of construction will be controlled by flaggers.

Steve Orlando Author
April 14, 2017