By Sarah Knepp, For The Miami Student
Visitors traveling to Oxford during the next month will want to rethink their route. The heavily trafficked U.S. 27 northbound left turn lane at Chestnut Street and Patterson Avenue is closed.
The construction has been met with frustration from students and commuters who must now take a slower route to campus.
The project to lengthen U.S. 27 began Aug. 17, the Monday of move-in week for first-year students and others living on campus. The closure of the turn lane from U.S. 27/Patterson to Chestnut began Aug. 24, the first day of classes for the fall 2015 semester.
The project, which began last year, is expected to be completed in July.
According to the City of Oxford, the stretch of Chestnut from Maple Street to Patterson closed on Aug. 26. Drivers are instructed to take a detour from Spring Street to Campus Avenue if they would like to access the open portion of Chestnut.
The construction stretches from Southpointe Parkway to Chestnut Street, a distance that measures 1.05 miles.
The particular lane closure at U.S. 27/Patterson and Chestnut is due to the construction of a bridge that will cross Collins Creek and the new roadway on the east side.
According to a memo from city engineer Victor Popescu, addressed to City Manager Doug Elliott, the project's start time had been delayed several times due to heavy rain and other weather issues.
With Chestnut closed, traffic from U.S. 27 is now funneling through the intersection of Patterson and Spring Street. This shift in traffic is expected to cause delays, especially when Miami hosts big events on its campus.
Closure of the left turn lane and Chestnut is expected to last around 30 days.
Senior Erin Antonelli is frustrated by how the long-term construction project impacts her commute to campus.
"It has really made a difference in my ability to get to class," Antonelli said. "It's annoying to have to leave an extra 20-30 minutes early to just sit on campus until my classes start."
In the meantime, Miami has provided detour directions for visitors who would otherwise take U.S. 27.
One of the alternative routes instructs drivers to take Stillwell Beckett Road to SR 732, and to get on Chestnut Street and then Campus Avenue. The other route directs drivers to take less-traveled state route roads to High Street.