Lafayette City-Parish contractors have opened E. St. Mary Boulevard for traffic at its intersection with McKinley Street. So, vehicles can again travel through the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus along St. Mary Boulevard.
Sidewalks remain closed at the intersection, however. Students with disabilities are encouraged to use the pedestrian crosswalk between Billeaud and Wharton halls, said Joey Pons, environmental health and safety director at UL Lafayette. That crosswalk offers a safer way to cross McKinley Street near the St. Mary Boulevard intersection.
The intersection had been closed since July 28 to enable city workers to install underground piping to improve drainage on campus.
According to Pons, the intersection did not open to motorists this morning as expected. “When the LCG contractors tested the concrete, it needed more time to cure before the hole could be sealed permanently,” he said.
Workers will close the intersection for a full day to pour asphalt for the road and to finish the sidewalks. The date of that closure has not been determined yet. “We have asked them to do the remaining work at a time that will minimize further disruptions to the campus,” Pons said.