Notre Dame plans to reroute Douglas Road

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame has plans to reroute Douglas Road to make it safer for their students, but not everyone is happy about it.

Notre Dame grad student Quinn Lathrop said Douglas Road as it stands is a nightmare.

"I often commute on a bike and it is one of the more dangerous roads to commute on,” said Lathrop.

So he is all for Notre Dame's plan to realign the road.

The plan would close Douglas Road through campus and move the vehicle traffic to a new road that would be built through fields on the north edge of campus, but not everyone who attended the public meeting tonight was on board with the project.

“The main concern is the bicycle traffic goes underneath the toll road,” said John Norton.

John Norton is worried about the extra bicycle traffic and he thinks the two new proposed roundabouts could create a safety issue.

"You put to roundabouts that close together and traffic moving at 40 mph. They have quite a few problems with just the one there,” said Norton.

Planners for the project insist the roundabout will actually make it safer because it will slow people down.

Notre Dame's associate vice president of public affairs said they know they have a few kinks to work out, but he is hoping the project can be a win-win for the community and the university.

"It's truly making it an East-West connector for our community..At the same time I do think we have some opportunities for safety improvements,” said Sexton.

If the realignment goes through, the university would like to start construction March 2013 and be finished a week before Notre Dame's first home game on Aug. 3.

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