The University blocked off portions of the sidewalk along Inner Campus Drive last week, marking the start of a construction project that’s expected to stay on the road until early February. 

The construction strives to improve the road and sidewalk between Batts Hall and the William C. Hogg building and hopes to improve accessible parking spaces, UT’s Planning, Design and Construction Advisory announced in a Sept. 17 email to the community. Alternate routes on the opposite side of the drive are marked for pedestrians, and sections of the road will be fenced-off to prevent pedestrians or bikers from getting in the way of construction.

Project manager Vanessa Belmontes said the route improvements aim to make the road more accessible by turning steps into ramps and adding utilities to help water drainage. She said this will help the area better comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“We are pushing this project to go through because there’s a lot of people that walk daily through the road, and it doesn’t meet ADA requirements because there’s a lot of obstructions in the way,” Belmontes said.

The project will block off every parking spot in the construction area. Drivers who normally use these spots can park in any campus garage, except for the Conference Center Garage, or other ADA spots. 

Federal law states an establishment of the University’s size must have at least 200 ADA-compliant spots. While UT has more than 200, the closest campus parking garages are about a 10-minute walk from Inner Campus Drive, which hosts more than 10 major academic buildings. 

“I know it’s going to be inconvenient for a long time, but it’s for the better good of everybody to (have) a safer road,” Belmontes said.