Traffic closures, improvements coming to Hutchison Drive
Detours in place June 16-Sept. 15
This summer, a portion of the north side of Hutchison Drive — including the sidewalk, bike lane, and one lane of traffic — will be closed to facilitate much-needed infrastructure and safety enhancement as part of the construction of the Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation.
What to expect during construction
Between June 16 and September 15, a section of Hutchison Drive between the intersections of Health Sciences Drive and La Rue Road will be closed for construction. Explore the interactive map below to see details of the closure as well as vehicular and pedestrian detours.
Vehicular impacts
Coordinating Closures
Project Manager Debra Smith has worked closely with campus partners—including Conference and Event Services, Campus Recreation, and Student Housing—to minimize the impact of the road closure. The timeline was carefully coordinated to avoid commencement activities, and the construction scope was refined to shorten the overall closure period.
Detours
Through traffic will still be able to utilize Hutchison Drive. Traffic on Hutchison Drive will not be able to turn onto Extension Center Drive and vice versa. Vehicular detours will be available via La Rue Road, Blue Ridge Road and Orchard Park Drive. The west end of Extension Center Drive will be accessible starting at the south entrance to Parking Lot 30.
Closure
The northmost lane of Hutchison Drive will be closed to all traffic between the intersections of La Rue Road and Health Sciences Drive. Traffic traveling west on Hutchison Drive will be reduced to one lane in this section. This closure will also prevent access to Extension Center Drive from Hutchison Drive and vice versa. During a small portion of construction all traffic, eastbound and westbound, will be reduced to one lane. During this closure, flaggers will be on site, directing traffic. These extended closures will take place one week at a time, twice between July and August.
Pedestrian and bike impacts
Detours
Pedestrians walking along Hutchison Drive and bicyclists traveling west will be directed to the multimodal path on the south side of Hutchison Drive. Pedestrians and cyclists headed for Extension Center Drive will be directed to the path along the west side of La Rue Road and around the Rec Pool.
Closure
The sidewalk and bike lane on the north side of Hutchison Drive between the Health Sciences Drive and La Rue Drive — including the entrance to Extension Center Drive — will be closed.
Improvements after construction
About the Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation
These traffic infrastructure improvements are being made as part of the construction of the Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation, an exciting, new 34,000 square-foot building that will house experiential learning and collaboration spaces, including an agricultural engineering robotics and sensor fabrication shop. Read more about the groundbreaking about the agricultural innovation center.
Traffic signals at the intersection of Extension Center Drive
The median island in between directional traffic will be removed at the intersection of Extension Center Drive and Hutchison Drive and traffic lights will be installed, including a bike signal at Extension Center Drive. This change will allow vehicles traveling east on Hutchison Drive to turn left onto Extension Center Drive and traffic from Extension Center Drive to turn right onto Hutchison Drive. The entrance to Extension Center Drive will be reshaped to accommodate this traffic. Crosswalks will be added on Hutchison Drive on either side of the intersection to facilitate safe pedestrian crossings.
Two-way cycle track
A two-way cycle track will be installed along the northside of Hutchison Drive. The new cycle track will extend from the intersection at La Rue Drive to the intersection of Health Sciences Drive, connecting to existing bike paths at either end.
Bus stop move
The bus stop servicing the V and D lines on the northside of Hutchison Drive near the Health Sciences Drive intersection will be moved about 175 feet east to accommodate the new bike path.