Traffic change: Observatory Drive will be partially closed

Changes in construction plans on Observatory Drive mean that the street will be partially closed to traffic through the summer, instead of completely closed.

The eastbound lanes of Observatory Drive east of Bascom Hall will be closed to traffic all summer, but the westbound lanes in that area will remain open. A utility project scheduled near the Education Building has been postponed until 2010.

As a consequence, the Route 80 bus returned to its regular route today (May 21) along Observatory Drive for most of the summer.

The Route 85 bus will also return to its regular route for most of the summer, except for a short-term detour from Randall Avenue to Charter Street from now until June 8. The 85 will travel south from Observatory Drive on Charter Street to Dayton Street without turning right at University Avenue to stop on Randall Avenue.

Routes 80 and 85 will both detour off Observatory Drive to University Avenue for about two weeks starting mid-June. Please watch for updates.

Stay informed: You can now receive e-mail and/or text alerts from Metro about campus bus route changes here.

Or check how close your bus is to your bus stop via Metro’s new real-time tracker here.