Building Patriot Pride

Construction Alerts

• Construction Traffic along Aquia Creek
• Roberts Road Closures
• George Mason Blvd Extension Opens
• Pedestrian Detour
• Network and Phone Outages
• Central Plant Expansion
• Construction Articles
  

Construction Limits Traffic along Aquia Creek Lane

Traffic along Aquia Creek Lane (formerly George Mason Blvd, the road that runs between Thompson Hall and the Johnson Center circle) is now indefinitely limited to Mason Pond Parking Deck permit holders only. Parking procedures were changed slightly at the deck so that reserved spaces for permit holders can only be accessed through the third level entrance on Aquia Creek Lane.

With vehicular access limited on Aquia Creek Lane to construction vehicles and deck permit holders, all other traffic will be advised to use alternate routes. Pedestrian paths will be adjusted to circumvent the construction sites. Handicapped parking spaces next to SUB I will temporarily remain until the spaces are relocated and disabled access pathways to and from Mason Pond Parking Deck are finished.

The road restrictions are the result of three simultaneous projects already in progress along Aquia Creek Lane: The Aquia Building (Data Center and Swing Space), the Center for Student Success (addition to SUB I) and the de Laski Performing Arts Building (addition).

Both the Aquia Building and the Performing Arts Building are expected to be done by summer 2010. Work on the Center for Student Success will be more extensive, with completion expected in the spring of 2011.

Further traffic updates will be announced as soon as they become available. Information can also be found on the Parking Services Web site. If you have specific questions, please contact the Office of Parking and Transportation at 993-2710.

Roberts Road Work to Cause Lane Closures

Mason is making many improvements to Roberts Road to make the area safer for pedestrians as well as vehicles. Roberts Road will be realigned, and extensive improvements will be made at the Shenandoah River Lane intersection.

The improved intersection will feature a right-turn lane from Shenandoah onto Roberts Road, as well as right and left turn lanes on Roberts Road. In addition, Mason will build a continuation of the Fairfax County’s pedestrian trail along Roberts Road.

The narrow road will require a great deal of tree pruning and removal. The tree removal will begin in late July and last approximately one month. Project managers assure the community that traffic will not be affected in any way during that time.

However, the grading and utility work beginning in early August is likely to cause occasional lane closures. This work will be done by companies such as Verizon, Washington Gas and Virginia Power, making it difficult to predict a specific traffic schedule at this time.

As necessary, flag workers and traffic control devices will be in place throughout the project. To minimize traffic impact, the Virginia Department of Transportation allows such construction work only during the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The entire project is expected to be complete by early January 2010. If you have questions, contact Mason’s Transportation Office at transpo@gmu.edu.

George Mason Blvd Extension Opens

On Friday, June 19, the City of Fairfax will open the new George Mason Boulevard extension between University Drive and downtown Fairfax to all traffic.

University Drive at the city/campus property has been permanently blocked to through traffic. City officials are confident that although the traffic pattern shift will take some getting used to, George Mason Boulevard will improve traffic for both the city and the university.

Parking along Armstrong Street will remain temporarily prohibited. CUE Bus stops had been moved temporarily from University Drive to Route 123. New CUE Bus stops are already in place, and will go into operation on Friday, June 19.

CUE Bus and Mason Shuttle routes will shift due to the new traffic patterns; however, no changes have been made to any of the schedules. To travel to the Commerce Building from the Fairfax Campus, take Route 123 to Armstrong Street, turn right on Armstrong Street, and left onto University Drive.

For questions specific to campus traffic patterns, contact Mason's Office of Parking and Transportation. For further information about the overall project, contact the City of Fairfax at 703-385-7889 or go to fairfaxva.gov//news/GeorgeMasonBlvdbarricade.pdf

Pedestrian Detour

The pedestrian path along Route 123 on Mason's Fairfax Campus is temporarily closed as construction of the Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel continues. The path will be repaved and will reopen by the end of June 2009.

During the closure, signs on the path designate a pedestrian detour that cuts through campus. The detour begins at the crosswalk on Route 123 just south of University Drive, and continues passed the tennis courts and around the Recreation and Athletic Complex (RAC).

By summer 2010, the Mason Inn will be near completion and the new connector road joining Route 123 and Patriot Circle will be open to all traffic. The additional entrance will significantly ease traffic congestion in the region, especially along Braddock Road during peak hours.

For more information, go to the Patriot Center web site.

Network and Phone Outages to Occur

See more information about Mason outages.

Workers are relocating thousands of underground communication lines on the Fairfax Campus between the Johnson Center and the Performing Arts Building.
The area is being prepped for the construction of the Performing Arts Building expansion, set to begin in spring 2009.

Outages resulting from the project will include phone lines, fire alarms and private data systems (cash registers and ATMs). More than 9,000 pairs of copper wires are being moved as well as roughly 700 strands of fiber.

Several buildings could be affected with each cable that is cut. Communication line relocations will affect buildings listed below.

• Center for the Arts
• College Hall
• David King Hall
• Enterprise Hall
• Fine Arts Building
• Johnson Center
• Mason Hall
• Mason Pond Parking Deck
• Patriot Center
• Performing Arts Center
• Presidents Park Residence Halls

All voicemail and email systems should remain operational throughout the course of the project. If phone lines are down at any given point, calls made during that time will automatically go to voicemail to be accessed later.

Central Plant Expansion Project Begins

Road work for the Central Plant Expansion project has begun and will continue through May 2009. The project significantly impacts traffic at the intersection of Patriot Circle and Rivanna River Lane, as well as other portions of Rivanna River Lane.

The project involves tunneling beneath the roadways. At many times, traffic will be limited to one lane. Construction crews have widened the intersection to allow access to Rivanna River Lane for larger delivery vehicles. During working hours, flagmen will be directing traffic. Signage is in place to direct traffic during the evening hours and on weekends.

Access to the Desktop Support and Facilities Management parking lots is closed for the duration of the project. To the extent possible, drivers are asked to seek alternative routes to avoid potential congestion. No parking is allowed on Rivanna River Lane except for the 20 minute load/unload spaces.

As work progresses, further updates will be provided. Please contact parking@gmu.edu if you have any questions.

Articles Related to Construction at the University

• Northeast Sector, Fairfax
• "Mason Gazette Archives"
• Southside Dining Hall Construction Completed