Mason’s Mortarboard

It’s difficult to see the positives in road closures and restrictions, but I’ll do my best.

Beginning Monday, May 17, the City of Fairfax will permanently close a portion of University Drive to through traffic between the Rappahannock River Parking Deck and Fairfax City Hall.  This was all part of the city’s plans to take traffic away from the predominently residential University Drive. The new George Mason Boulevard is set to be completed in mid June to replace the University Drive route.

Interestingly, the City of Fairfax made these plans nearly 15 years ago, when there were no housing developments along George Mason Boulevard. Things have since changed, causing concern for residents about safety and noise. City officials say it will take 6 to 12 months to accurately gauge what improvements, if any, will be made along the road.

What we do know is that it will provide a more strategic and aesthetic approach to the north side of campus. When Rappahannock River Parking Deck opens this fall, thousands of cars will be entering and exiting the area, which required Mason to develop some rather tactical traffic patterns. On paper, everything looks like it should run smoothly. But only time will tell.

Other road alerts include new restrictions along Aquia Creek Lane (formerly known as George Mason Boulevard that runs from Thompson Hall down to the Johnson Center circle). Three large construction projects will be under way by June, including work to the Performing Arts Building, making the circle inaccessible. Beyond construction vehicles, the only traffic allowed on Aquia Creek Lane after June 1 will be Mason Pond Parking Deck permit holders (permit holders to this deck are only allowed access through this third-level entrance).

And we must not forget about an impending closure of Patriot Circle near the intersection of Rivanna River Lane for some underground utility work. This was orginally scheduled to happen Memorial Weekend when minimal traffic is on campus.  But that date was recently pushed back to a less convenient, yet-to-be-determined date.

That’s all for now. But I might be back with more.