Spirit Walk to close roads briefly near VCU’s Siegel Center

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Virginia Commonwealth University will host its annual New Student Convocation and Spirit Walk on Tuesday, Aug. 23. As part of the celebration to welcome new students, there will be road closures in the area.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., students from VCU’s Class of 2020 will walk from the Stuart C. Siegel Center to the 900 and 1000 blocks of Floyd Avenue. 

In order to ensure the safety of participating students, faculty and staff, the VCU Police Department will briefly close the eastbound and westbound lanes of West Broad Street at the north intersection of Harrison Street for approximately 10 minutes. (The exact start time and length of the closure is subject to change.)

The Spirit Walk route will continue south on Harrison Street, crossing Grace and Franklin streets, and then head east onto the 500 block of Park Avenue. The route will continue south on Linden Street and end at the intersection of Floyd Avenue and Linden Street.

VCU Police will briefly close Harrison Street between Broad Street and Grove Avenue to allow participants to walk the route. Intersections along Harrison Street will be blocked and will open for vehicular travel as soon as participants pass through. VCUPD officers will lead and follow Spirit Walk participants.

Parking on Harrison Street will be restricted from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; “no parking” signs will be posted on Harrison Street between Franklin Street and Park Avenue.

Floyd Avenue between Harrison and North Cherry streets will be closed for a freshman student event beginning at 5 a.m. on Aug. 23. The street will reopen at 12 a.m. (midnight) on Wednesday.

Drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes through the area during this time. Suggested alternatives include Leigh Street, Cary Street, Interstate 95 or the Downtown Expressway.

The VCU Police Department is working with Richmond Police and other partners to minimize traffic congestion and ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff.