For some, Columbia Road construction puts the brakes on parking in UND's ramp

Sep. 4—Ongoing construction on Columbia Road near UND is making it difficult for some students and staff to park in a nearby ramp, resulting in crowding of some other campus parking lots.

People using UND's parking ramp, located at the intersection of Columbia Road and University Avenue, are having to take long and circuitous routes to access the ramp in some cases, as they can't yet drive in from that road due to construction. Difficulty in getting to the 756-space ramp has led to a few complaints and some frustrated drivers, as they look for places to park.

"I have taken a few calls myself, where they're having a hard time finding how to get into it," said Kerrie Peltier, manager of parking services at UND.

That frustration particularly hits those who hold year-long passes to the ramp, which cost $400, Peltier said. She added that on a couple of occasions she's had to give directions to people enroute to the ramp.

Some people, she said, have even avoided the ramp completely which crowds other lots. People who pay for ramp access can also park in open air lots, in spaces marked for students and faculty. About 420 ramp permits have been sold. The remainder of the parking there is pay-as-you-go. Peltier said on any given day about the equivalent of a whole level of the ramp, roughly 120 spaces, remains open because of the difficulty in getting to the building.

The good news for drivers is that the project is expected to wind down by Sept. 15, according to Brian Larson, director of construction management at UND. While UND is not actually doing the work — it's a city project, first involving the underground forcemain, then the road itself — a UND employee attends weekly construction update meetings. The city, Larson said, has communicated well with UND, and provided regular progress updates.

Larson said staff work with UND parking services to send out updated parking maps to students, but some difficulty in getting to the ramp remains.

"No doubt it's creating some challenges here with Columbia Road closed," he said.

Peltier detailed the convoluted routes some people need to take to get to the ramp, rattling off the street name with ease:

On University Avenue, heading east

One way to get to the ramp is to drive east along University Avenue directly to the building. There is an entrance on the northwest side of the ramp, though that only leads to pay-as-you-go parking. Permit holders can enter there, however, then drive through the ramp and exit on Second Avenue, on the south side of the structure. From there, they can turn around and drive back into the south side entrance that leads to the permitted parking area.

Drivers wanting to directly enter the south entrance can head east along University Avenue then turn right onto Centennial Drive west and head south. Other southbound roads work for this route as well. This leads to Campus Drive heading east. Once drivers reach Cornell Street, they can head north directly to the ramp. Drivers need to be careful not to take the eastern Centennial Drive, located between the Chester Fritz Library and School of Law, as this is no longer a through street, and does not connect with Campus Drive.

From Columbia Road, and University Avenue heading west

People taking this route need to head west at Sixth Avenue North. Detour signs should be in place at this location. Drivers can then head south on Oxford Street, cross University Avenue, and continue south on Centennial Drive until they reach Cornell Street, and then the ramp. People heading north on South Columbia Road, and coming to the university over the overpass, can also take this route, by turning left on Sixth Avenue North.

Drivers heading north on Columbia Road can also head east on Second Avenue, after having crossed the overpass. They can then go south on North 23rd Street and drive past the Energy and Environmental Research Center. After a brief stretch of gravel road, drivers will be on Campus Drive. There they can head west, driving under the Columbia Road overpass. This connects with Cornell Street which drivers can take north directly to the parking ramp.

Drivers on the east side of University Avenue heading west can also head south on North 23rd Street, and drive under the overpass.