Work to Close Right-Turn Lane on University Avenue

Motorists on University Avenue at the intersection of Emmet Street will experience some delays beginning Oct. 22, as work nears completion to beautify one of the main gateways to the University of Virginia.

The right-turn lane on westbound University Avenue at Emmet will be closed for about 10 days.  Motorists turning right onto Emmet will share the lane with those continuing west on University, which becomes Ivy Road after the intersection.

Motorists heading north on Emmet will then be shifted into the lane that becomes the left-turn lane into the Italian Villa. The left turn into the Villa will be blocked.

Construction barriers and signs will direct traffic. Motorists are advised to avoid the intersection if possible. No U.Va. home football games are scheduled during the period, but traffic for the Oct. 23 concert by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the John Paul Jones Arena and Family Weekend Oct. 26-28 will be affected by the lane closing.

Work on a new, landscaped park area at University and Emmet began in 2011 with the demolition of a gas station on the corner and the building next to it, which had been plagued by mold. The project has been delayed this fall because of a change in the route of the stormwater system in order to avoid a street excavation.

By mid-December, the Emmet-University small park project will be nearing completion. It will include street widening, a bike lane, new street lights and sidewalks. Work on the interior of the park site – including asphalt paths, lights and a stone wall – will also be completed by then.

When these improvements are completed, a stream running through the site will be restored and realigned. The work will be coordinated by BioHabits, the same firm that designed the stormwater improvements at the Emmet-Ivy Parking Garage.

— by Robert Hull

Media Contact

Marian Anderfuren

UVA Media Relations