A pedestrian bridge across Manning Drive on the UNC Hospitals campus is set to be removed in the coming days, with the university and Town of Chapel Hill warning people of traffic impacts.
The UNC Facilities and Services Department shared on its website, and on traffic signs along nearby roads, that Manning Drive and the western part of Hospital Drive will be closed beginning at 5 a.m. on Saturday, November 18 for the duration of the work. The department said that the Dogwood and Cardinal parking decks on the road will remain open to all patients, employees, and visitors parking during the bridge’s removal — but those traveling to the hospital campus or emergency room may need to take different routes.
Vehicle traffic will be detoured along Mason Farm Road, West Drive and New East Drive during the demolition and removal of one of the Dogwood Parking Deck’s bridges. Pedestrians will be detoured around the work site by either going through the parking decks or through the hospital campus.
Additionally, the Chapel Hill Transit and GoTriangle bus stops #3238 and #3239 on Manning Drive at UNC Hospitals will not be serviced while the road is closed. The transit systems encouraged riders to plan for possible delays due to rerouting, with their respective websites having details on route detours and alternate stops.
UNC said the anticipated reopening of Manning Drive will be at 5 a.m. on Monday, November 27.
The pedestrian bridge’s removal is part of the ongoing UNC Hospitals Surgical Tower project. The seven-story tower — built directly adjacent from the North Carolina Memorial Hospital building — is the largest single building on the Chapel Hill hospital’s campus and will greatly expand the amount of operating rooms and space within operating rooms compared to the current facilities. The project has been under construction since 2018 and aims to be operational in 2024.
Photo via UNC Hospitals.
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