Web site to help U. students navigate construction

Watch out for that manhole.

Yellow caution tape and barricades may keep the majority of people out of harm's way, but the University of Utah is hoping tech-savvy students will also check a new interactive Web site to find their way around construction projects across campus.

A handful of projects at the U. have occupied various roads and spaces that were previously vacant or open, which may or may not create obstacles for the nearly 29,000 people heading back to class at the U. this week and are otherwise familiar with the way campus might have been in years past.

"We hope anyone who travels to campus will bookmark this site and use it before beginning their trip," said Darrin Blaisdell, project manager at the U. "Many areas of campus are under construction and some other projects are planned that have not yet begun which will cause future traffic rerouting."

The new site, constructionimpacts.utah.edu, contains an interactive map that aims to make way-finding much easier for students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus.

"The information on the site will be updated weekly or even daily, if needed," Blaisdell said.

The interactive map is dotted with red triangle alerts posted where traffic congestion or road closures are expected to be. Users can navigate over the symbols to see how long the project is scheduled to impede traffic and what alternative routes are available. It is also possible to search by an actual date, to determine where construction will be occurring on campus at that particular date.

Construction areas, denoted by yellow slash lines on the map, indicate where heavy equipment might be operating and is scheduled to operate.

Blaisdell said the site will be enhanced as projects continue, making it even more user-friendly.

One upcoming feature, he said, is a "beginning-to-end" route finder, where visitors can enter a starting point and the location where they want to end up and the system will determine the best possible route, avoiding as much construction as possible.

e-mail: wleonard@desnews.com