Beginning on Monday, June 8, Tower Road, a main thoroughfare of the Cornell University campus, will become the site of several major construction projects.

The road will be closed to traffic in four different areas at various times during the summer to accommodate road improvements and utility work. These projects will differ in length -- from two weeks to four months -- and in their effects on Tower Road's traffic and accessibility.

All buses that normally serve Tower Road will be rerouted to Campus Road from June 8 to Aug. 15. (See accompanying release.)

The following descriptions of each of the projects provide detailed information that can be used as a guide in navigating the Cornell campus this summer.

Tower Road summer construction

1) Tower Road between East Avenue and the east end of Corson-Mudd Hall -- (Utility work):

• Work begins June 8.
• Tower Road will be closed to traffic between East Avenue and Garden Avenue, and between Garden Avenue and the east end of Corson-Mudd Hall.
• The Tower Road/Garden Avenue intersection will be reduced to one-lane for north/south traffic.
• Pedestrian walkways will be provided on the south side (Uris, ILR, Corson-Mudd) of Tower Road throughout the construction. Access to Malott Hall will be provided on the north side.
• The Tower Road/Garden Avenue intersection, and Tower Road to the east end of Corson-Mudd Hall will be complete and open to traffic by Aug. 15.
• Tower Road between East Avenue and Garden Avenue is scheduled to reopen by the second week in October.

2) Garden Avenue Extension between Tower Road and Bailey Hall -- (Road resurfacing):

• Work begins sometime after June 8.
• Traffic will be reduced to one lane.
• The project will be completed by Aug. 15.

3) Tower Road between Wing Drive and Judd Falls Road -- (Road reconstruction):

• Work begins in mid-June.
• Tower Road will be closed to traffic between Wing Drive and Judd Falls Road.
• Both Wing Drive and Judd Falls Road will remain open.
• The Peterson metered parking lot will be closed for the summer.
• There will be a temporary entrance to the Cornell Dairy Store parking lot on Judd Falls Road.
• A pedestrian walkway will be provided on the south side (Stocking Hall, Food Science Lab) of Tower Road throughout the construction.
• The project will be completed in approximately two months, reopening Tower Road by mid-August.

4) East Tower Road between Route 366 and Campus Road -- (Road resurfacing):

Work begins in mid-June.

• East Tower Road will be closed to traffic between Route 366 and Campus Road.
• The project will be completed in approximately one month. The road will reopen by mid-July.

To minimize the construction's effects on faculty and staff, Cornell's Commuter and Parking Services will be honoring "O" permits in the "K" (south of Morrison Hall, east end of Alumni Field and on Campus Road) and "C" (the Cresent Lot next to Schoellkopf Field) areas from June 8 to Aug. 15. This will allow commuters temporarily to park closer to the Ag Quad and athletic facilities, and it will reduce the impact on transit riders.

If you have any questions on parking and transportation issues during the construction, contact Cornell Transportation Services at (607) 255-4600.

Specific questions concerning the construction projects can be referred to:

• Frank Perry, project engineer, Cornell Department of Planning, Design and Construction, (607) 255-6634 (for Tower Road between East Avenue and the east end of Corson-Mudd Hall and Garden Avenue Extension between Tower Road and Bailey Hall);
• Robert Chiang, project engineer, Planning, Design and Construction, (607) 255-6613 (for Tower Road between Wing Drive and Judd Falls Road, and East Tower Road between Route 366 and Campus Road).