On The Edge News

BY DAMIEN SCHUERMAN AND NATHAN GILBERT | PHOTO BY ALEX THOMAS

Construction on Monroe Street beginning in early 2018 will affect all students, employees, and visitors to Edgewood College.

Monroe Street will be resurfaced from Odana Road to Edgewood College Drive and reconstructed from Edgewood College Drive to Regent Street. The city of Madison currently estimates construction will take place through Nov. 1, 2018, impacting the Spring, Summer, and Fall 2018 semesters.

“We will reduce Monroe Street to a single lane, allowing for one-way traffic only in the direction of Odana Road to Regent Street,” said Jim Wolfe, the city of Madison engineering department’s project manager.

Monroe Street could be reduced to one lane as early as January as gas and electric utilities complete preparatory work. Depending on the weather, street construction is scheduled to begin in late March.

There will be no parking on Monroe Street from 7 a.m to 7 p.m. Residents in the area will be able to exempt themselves from parking time limits by applying for free residential parking permits

Sidewalks along Monroe Street will remain open on at least one side at all times. Vehicular traffic will be allowed twice daily on Edgewood Drive to facilitate pick up and drop off at Edgewood Campus School, creating safety concerns for pedestrians and bicyclists both on Edgewood Drive itself and those crossing to and from Mazzuchelli Hall.

To increase pedestrian safety, the Edgewood College Drive – Monroe Street junction will be constructed as a “raised intersection.”  This will include raising the height of the street to sidewalk level to ensure vehicles enter the intersection slowly and marking the crosswalks with high-visibility paint.

According to Wolfe, the intersection will be closed during concrete work. Wolfe is coordinating with Edgewood College to plan for driveway closure. Wolfe estimates the resurfacing will last 20-30 years, and the reconstruction will last beyond 50 years.

Edgewood College has formed a task force to identify the pressing issues facing the campus during construction.  The task force will meet with departments and groups from the college to identify key concerns and subsequently recommend solutions.