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Western’s main campus entrance off N.C. 107 to be closed for five weeks
Western Carolina University’s main entrance at the intersection of N.C. 107 and Centennial Drive will be closed to all traffic for five weeks beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, May 14, as the university begins the road construction phase of its current building boom.
The entrance is being closed to allow contractors to relocate a portion of Centennial Drive around Robinson Administration Building. Barricades will be erected on Centennial Drive at its intersection with the access road to the university picnic area and at the intersection of Centennial Drive and University Way, said John Austin, project manager in Western’s Office of Facilities Management.
Work will include the construction of a traffic circle in front of Robinson Administration Building. The contractor for the project is Phillips & Jordan Inc. of Robbinsville.
The main campus entrance will reopen around Friday, June 18, Austin said.
During the closure period, motorists are advised to enter campus at the intersection of N.C. 107 and Forest Hills Road. Motorists can then follow Forest Hills Road to the center of campus or take an immediate left turn onto Catamount Road to access the administration building and other university facilities near the main entrance. Another option for motorists traveling along N.C. 107 is to take S.R. 1002 (Old Cullowhee Road) to enter the campus through its back entrance.
Access to the university picnic area and golf range will be available from Centennial Drive through the center of campus, Austin said.
More road construction will follow later in the summer as contractors relocate a portion of Catamount Road adjacent to Western’s new Fine and Performing Arts Center and construct a new road to connect to Belk Lane. That work is expected to be completed before the start of Western’s home football season in the fall. Road construction from Belk Lane to Centennial Drive will continue into the fall semester.
Future plans call for the relocation of Centennial Drive away from the center of Western’s campus to allow for the creation of a pedestrian corridor. All university road construction projects are being funded through the higher education bond package approved in a referendum by North Carolina voters in 2000.
For more information about the campus entrance closing or other university road projects, contact Western’s Office of Facilities Management at 227-7441.
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