The first phase of construction on the Education Corridor property along the north side of North Idaho College's campus will affect traffic and parking for the college's fall semester, which begins Monday.

River Avenue will be asphalted and open to traffic beginning next week. However, the roundabout at River and College avenues is not yet complete. A portion of the NIC Meyer Health and Sciences Building parking lot will be utilized for access to Rosenberry Drive (the dike road) until the roundabout is finished.

Alternative parking options will be available to students this fall to compensate for parking space being utilized as staging areas for construction on the site of the Education Corridor. The mill site property behind the Lewis-Clark State College portables as well as NIC's River Building and Timber Hall will be accessible via River Avenue for student parking. An additional lot will be available behind the NIC Headwaters Complex and can be accessed via Military Drive. The former Robin Hood Campground will be available as a temporary parking lot by entering at Park Street off Northwest Boulevard. Students are also welcome to park their cars at the Riverstone Transfer Station and ride the free Citylink bus, which comes straight to the NIC campus. Visit www.idahocitylink.com for a bus route schedule.

In addition, the city of Coeur d'Alene has allowed the lot next to the readerboard at Memorial Field to be available for parking without a required paid student or employee parking permit. However, a free parking pass must be picked up from NIC Parking Services on Military Drive and be displayed in vehicles parked on this lot, since it will be available only to NIC students and employees.

A map noting available parking on NIC's campus as well as access to the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene campuses at the Harbor Center is available at http://www.edcorridor.com/pdfs/harborCenterDetourMap.pdf.

Construction on the site of the Education Corridor will continue through fall semester, but will move north of River Avenue along Hubbard Avenue and Northwest Boulevard. Hubbard Avenue off Northwest Boulevard will be closed throughout most of fall semester. Students, employees and visitors may access the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College at the Harbor Center through the NIC campus, by turning onto Military Drive from River Avenue and cutting across the former log yard to connect with Hubbard and the entrance to the Harbor Center.

Military Drive is a residential neighborhood and ensuring that traffic travels slowly through that neighborhood will be emphasized by campus security and law enforcement.

Northwest Boulevard will be restricted to one lane beginning Aug. 22 while the new traffic signal is installed. The new entrance to Hubbard is projected to be complete by Sept. 22.

Students from North Idaho College, Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho Coeur d'Alene campuses are encouraged to allow extra time for traveling to school and parking, especially during the first few weeks of school.