VCU news

By Eric Peters and Shira Pollard

Eleventh Street between Broad and Marshall streets will close from June 17 to Aug. 30 to allow for construction for the new Children’s Pavilion at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond on Virginia Commonwealth University’s MCV Campus.

The alternate route for access to the VCU Medical Center from Broad Street is Ninth Street to Marshall Street.

A main corridor that provides access to the VCU Medical Center, 11^th Street is heavily used by employees, patients and emergency medical services personnel. To ensure continued access to the VCU Medical Center, its clinics and other health care services, a comprehensive communications plan has been implemented.

In addition to community advertising and direct communications with VCU Medical Center stakeholders, a website has been developed to keep employees, patients, the public and the media updated and abreast of alternate routes, important dates and news related to the closure. The address is http://www.NavigateVCUMedical.com/.

To accommodate increased traffic on Marshall Street between 10^th and 11^th streets, its traffic pattern will change to include two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane beginning June 10.

VCU RAMRide and GRTC bus routes will also change to bypass the 11^th Street closure, meaning stops on that block will not be active.

“We have made every effort to ensure the closure of 11^th Street has a minimal impact on access,” said Leslie G. Wyatt, RN, Vice President of Children’s Services and Executive Director of Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. “Ultimately, this phase means we are one step closer to completing construction of the largest, most advanced outpatient facility dedicated to children in the region.”

The Children’s Pavilion is scheduled to be completed in 2015.