West Main Street to Close Monday

Beginning Monday, the section of West Main Street that runs along East Campus between Buchanan Boulevard and Swift Avenue/Broad Street will be closed for a state bridge replacement project.

Through traffic will not be permitted for five months as contractors for the North Carolina Department of Transportation demolish and rebuild the 63-year-old bridge over Campus Drive, the main artery connecting East and West campuses.

Among work in the initial phase will be the moving in and setting up of equipment, barricades and detours. Bridge demolition is expected to begin around May 27 and run through June 14. During this time for demolition, the underpass at Campus Drive will be closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and Duke transit buses will be rerouted via Maxwell Avenue and Buchanan Boulevard. Also during this demolition period when the underpass at Campus Drive is closed, visitors going to East Campus and individuals with Duke parking permits will be able to access West Main Street from Buchanan Boulevard.

As the project gets underway, please make note of the following reminders about Duke transit and Bull City Connector transit adjustments and vehicle access to East Campus:

Duke Transit

The C-2 Duke transit bus will be re-routed when the underpass at Campus Drive is closed in both directions for bridge demolition. The demolition is expected from approximately May 27 through June 14. During this time, C-2 buses will be directed to Maxwell Street and Buchanan Boulevard to get to and from East Campus. At Buchanan and West Main Street, Duke buses will be permitted to pass through the road closure to get to East Campus during the demolition. 

Also during this time, all bus stops on East Campus will be consolidated for pick up and drop off at the stop on East Campus Quad.

Bus riders are encouraged to check TransLoc and Duke Today for updates during the course of construction.

Bull City Connector

Bull City Connector buses will follow a different route around the Brightleaf Square/East Campus area from May 13 through September.

Stops eliminated during the detour include:

Main Street at Campus Drive (Eastbound and Westbound)

Main Street at Morgan Street (Eastbound and Westbound)

Main Street at Gregson Street (Eastbound and Westbound)

Alternate temporary stops will be at:

Main Street at Duke Street (Eastbound)

Gregson Street at Brightleaf (Westbound)

In addition, the frequency of Bull City Connector bus service will change during the detour. See this map of the Bull City Connector detour and service hours. Questions about the Bull City Connector detour can be directed to the GoTriangle Regional Information Center at (919) 485-RIDE (7433).

Pedestrian Travel

When the underpass at Campus Drive is closed, pedestrian travel will be rerouted away from the underpass. Also, the sidewalk along West Main Street adjacent to East Campus will be closed during the duration of the project, and pedestrians will be directed to the path inside the wall of East Campus. The North Carolina Department of Transportation will erect pedestrian detour signs when needed.

Vehicle Access to East Campus

Through the course of the project, West Main Street will be closed from Buchanan Boulevard to Swift Avenue/Broad Street to through traffic. However, there will be times when accessing West Main Street to get to and from East Campus will be permitted. When the underpass at Campus Drive is closed May 27-June 14, visitors going to East Campus and individuals with Duke parking permits will be able to access West Main Street from Buchanan Boulevard. During this time period, there will be law enforcement personnel at the intersection to guide access from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Motorists who need to get to East Campus at other times during the project can access the core of East Campus through the underpass at Campus Drive from West Pettigrew Street, Maxwell Avenue or Swift Avenue - when the underpass is open.

In addition, through the duration of the entire project, there will be limited access from West Main Street and Swift Avenue/Broad Street to only enter and exit the circular Southgate residence hall driveway off West Main Street.

Also, in August, first-year students will be able to use West Main Street to get to East Campus for move-in day at the start of the academic year.

Additional updates will be forthcoming as necessary through the project.