St. Olaf Avenue reopens to the public today. Construction crews have been hard at work for months in order to have the road ready for the return of students, and today will be the first day that vehicles and pedestrians will get to take a trip down the new asphalt and sidewalks. Dial-A-Ride and the bus will pick up at its usual stop again, and traffic should return to normal.

The construction site has now been split in two: the Townhouse side and the Residence Hall side. As such, construction workers and vehicles will need to frequently cross the road. The public will need to stay alert on St. Olaf Avenue to keep themselves and the construction crew safe. The speed limit will be 10 mph, and there will be a trailer displaying each car’s speed as a reminder to be safe.

Of course, with a road running through the middle of the project site, this provides an opportunity for members of the campus community to observe the progress of the Ole Avenue Project. There will be many significant visual changes in the coming months, as framing and exteriors begin on the Townhouses and Residence Hall. Much of construction happens invisibly, as with underground utilities, and so it is almost unbelievable to watch as these buildings appear to rise up from the ground in such quick increments.