If you frequent North Avenue, you’ll soon notice amped up construction efforts on the north side of the street.  

The Facilities Department has been given the green light  — in the form of a permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation — to begin the next phase of a plan to renovate North Avenue.

“Our goal is to make the street as safe as we can for pedestrians,” said Frank Lamia, associate director of construction services. “The end result will transform North Avenue into a more pedestrian-friendly, enjoyable area for everyone.”

Starting next week, the north sidewalk of North Avenue will be closed from Williams Street to the Carnegie Building parking lot (E45).

Later in the summer, the sidewalk between the Carnegie lot and Tech Parkway will also be closed. Improvements to the area will include the following:

• Sidewalks will be widened to provide a larger buffer between pedestrians and cars, and brought up to campus standards.
• A HAWK pedestrian traffic signal will be installed in the crosswalk in front of the Alumni/Faculty House.
• New trees will be planted.
• All utilities will be moved underground.
• New street and pedestrian lighting will be installed that is in keeping with campus standards.

During the day, construction crews will work on the sidewalks, so car lane closures are also likely, Lamia said. All pedestrian traffic will be initially routed to the south sidewalk. Georgia Power will work on transitioning the utilities at night. Work will also continue on the Wardlaw Center, which should be completed in August.  

The goal is to complete the north sidewalk improvements by the beginning of football season and then make the same improvements to the south sidewalk — from Luckie Street to Centennial Olympic Park Drive — shortly after, said David Bowman, an architect in Facilities.    

In other construction news, a portion of Skiles Walkway will reopen between the Skiles Building and the Student Center on May 31. Click here for more information.

Also, be prepared for lane and sidewalk closures around Peters Parking Deck, which is across from Bobby Dodd Stadium. The timber retaining walls next to the deck will be replaced with granite walls that meet campus standards.

In addition, seating is being added to this area of Bobby Dodd Way, as well as new landscaping. The sidewalks along Fowler Street and Brittain Drive will also be widened from Bobby Dodd Way to the pedestrian entrances of the deck.

The construction around the deck is anticipated to be completed by the end of August.

For more information, email Lamia or Bowman.