As students return to campus for the 2020 Fall Semester, nothing is more important than our shared safety. With this in-mind, the following construction projects are currently or will soon be underway at the University of Utah. Please take the time to review these construction projects as you make plans for navigating campus.
In addition, please follow all safety signage and directions around construction sites. Do not enter construction zones or fenced sites. Give yourself extra time in the morning to commute to and through campus if your travel will be affected by roadwork or parking construction.
Here are the current and soon-to-happen construction projects on campus:
Ken Garff Performance Zone at Rice-Eccles Stadium
Work is being done to expand the south end zone facilities of Rice-Eccles Stadium to include additional seating options and to close the stadium off in a bowl shape. This expansion will also include new locker rooms and press facilities as well as the relocation and refurbishment of the 2002 Winter Olympic Cauldron.
Impacts: Pedestrian traffic area along 500 S., with through-traffic for pedestrians to remain alongside the construction fencing. Slight realignment of driving areas through parking lot on the west side of the stadium, as currently marked.
Anticipated Completion: Fall 2021
Wasatch Drive closure
The south end of Wasatch Drive is closed until the end of August 2020. Motorists traveling north may bypass this road closure by detouring through the Eccles Broadcast Lot.
Anticipated completion: August 2020
Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers
The Huntsman Cancer Institute is expanding, with the addition of a new patient care facility that will allow the HCI to grow by 220,000 square feet with the addition of 48 new inpatient hospital rooms. This construction project is currently in the shoring and excavation stages.
Impacts: Parking Lot 60 near the Children’s Center is closed indefinitely. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail system does not have an exit near the site. Employees and students using the BST are advised to exit at the nearby Dry Creek Trailhead and Red Butte Creek Road Trailhead. For more information on BST system routes, please refer to the BST website.
Anticipated completion: October 2022
Circle of Hope Drive temporary road
As part of the construction on the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers, a temporary road on Circle of Hope Drive has been constructed. This temporary road will remain in place until 2022, allowing vehicle access to the front door of the HCI, as well as the Northeast Parking Structure. Shuttle service will not be restricted due to construction.
Impacts: Controlled blasting techniques for excavation on the nearby construction site are occurring as scheduled. Expect short traffic stops (approx. 3 minutes), auditory horn signals, small vibrations, noise and dust near the construction site. Traffic control flaggers will be onsite to assist commuters during blast times. Learn more about the project and its impacts here.
Anticipated completion: 2022
Health Sciences garage, roadway and connector
Construction of a new 1,400-car parking garage as well as road realignment on North Medical Drive. The garage will be located between the IJ & Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center and the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers. The road realignment will raise North Medical Drive to allow for better access into the existing Lot 50 Garage and to the new parking garage. Two new round-a-bouts will be added to improve the traffic flow.
Impacts: Increased truck traffic for the garage. Road realignment will impact North Medical Drive, including the intersection at Mario Capecchi up to the Circle of Hope. Motorists traveling eastbound on Mario Capecchi Drive towards the hospital can expect delays and other road disruption for at least 18 months. North Medical Drive will have two eastbound lanes and one westbound lanes at all times. Excavation is anticipated to begin the first week of September, with the road realignment following 2-3 weeks later.
Anticipated completion: August 2022
Mario Capecchi Drive and Wasatch Drive storm drain work
Construction on Mario Capecchi Drive near the intersection of Wasatch Drive will impact traffic until August 31st. Motorists should expect delays and allow extra time when traveling through the area.
Impacts: Access to Wasatch Drive from Mario Cappechi Drive will be closed. Please access Wasatch Drive from North Campus Drive. Only one southbound lane on Mario Cappechi Drive will remain open. Northbound traffic on Mario Capecchi Drive will shift to the east.
Anticipated completion: August 31, 2020.
This construction project also includes the excavation of 15-20 feet of earth in the Student Life Center parking lot. This will limit the number of available parking stalls and temporarily reconfigure the pickup and return of rental equipment at the SLC. Please access the SLC parking lot from North Campus Drive.
Medical Examiners Building Demo and Service Road Construction for MEDX
Construction of a new service road to serve the hospital loading dock and the loading dock of the future MEDX Building. This project will include the demolition of the former Medical Examiners Building and the relocation of any utilities as needed.
Impacts: Closure of the road south of the John A. Moran Eye Center and south access into the West Terrace Parking Garage. Traffic to and from the West Terrace Parking Garage is being rerouted to the east entrance through 1900 East. Access into lower Lot 54 is closed through Mario Capecchi. Temporary access into lower Lot 54 is provided through west Lot 84.
Anticipated completion: January 2021
Biology Building Lab 201 remodel
The following lab spaces in the Biology Building are undergoing a remodel:
Main Floor: Rooms 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 213, 214, 214, 216, 217
Upper Floor: Rooms 301, 330, 331, 332
Impacts: Mild construction congestion in corridors surrounding the above rooms. Occasional construction vehicles parked or moving near the Biology Building. Possible fire system, electrical or HVAC shutdowns to occur. These shutdowns will be scheduled as much as possible on weekends or during early-morning or later-afternoon timeframes, to minimize impacts.
Anticipated completion: October 2020
HPER East/West Systems Upgrade
Work is being done to upgrade the mechanical systems in the building. The first priority in this project will be the replacement of the domestic water supply. The domestic water system replacement will take place throughout the HPER complex, with work occurring primarily in the hallways.
Impacts: As part of the replacement process, ceiling grid lights in the hallways will be removed and replaced with temporary lighting.
Anticipated completion: January 2021
College of Health remodeling
Remodeling project will take a portion of the general women’s locker room to create classroom/lab space for the College of Health. Will also remodel the four remaining racquetball courts in the East HPER. A second floor will be added in the courts to allow for future build-out of office space.
Impacts: Main impact will be in the women’s locker room and the racquetball courts. Hallways will also be impacted as they will be the only access to these areas. This work will be done in conjunction with the HPER East/West Systems Upgrade.
Anticipated completion: December 2020
Kennecott Mechanical Engineering Building parking stalls and pathway upgrades
Four new ADA parking stalls are being installed, and pathways are being upgraded for accessibility improvements. Regrading of asphalt and sidewalk to the northeast side of the building will occur.
Impacts: Sidewalk on the east side of the Kennecott Mechanical Engineering building will be removed and regraded. New sidewalk will improve ADA accessibility to the building.
Anticipated completion: End of Fall 2020
Park Building structural repair
Structural remediation work is underway in the basement of the Park Building.
Impacts: Construction noise within the building.
Anticipated completion: January 2021
New Public Safety Building at Guardsman lot
The new Public Safety Building will be built on the northeast side of the Guardsman Lot. Approximately 140 stalls in the Guardsman Lot will be permanently eliminated in order to accommodate the space needed to construct the new building. Construction will begin later this year.
Anticipated completion: 2022