What a lot of fans don't know is that the field on the home side seating is approx 35ft from the edge of the field, On the visitor side the edge of the playing field is approx 75ft from the seating. That means we can move a new seating area 35 ft closer to the field. Now keep in mind TV has to have a cart run on the side and most times its on the visitor side, no use making the home team crowded. Godwin is really not in play for a rebuild of that side. Between Godwin and the existing seating there is a tunnel underground for storm drainage and steam lines to serve UREC and old Convo, not sure if the steam is in use now. Godwin can stay and the new stadium addition can over hang it like on the other side that overhangs the parking deck.
My opinion a rebuild is not in the near future, we need to pack BFS and it will come to be.

(03-19-2022 09:44 PM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  What a lot of fans don't know is that the field on the home side seating is approx 35ft from the edge of the field, On the visitor side the edge of the playing field is approx 75ft from the seating. That means we can move a new seating area 35 ft closer to the field. Now keep in mind TV has to have a cart run on the side and most times its on the visitor side, no use making the home team crowded. Godwin is really not in play for a rebuild of that side. Between Godwin and the existing seating there is a tunnel underground for storm drainage and steam lines to serve UREC and old Convo, not sure if the steam is in use now. Godwin can stay and the new stadium addition can over hang it like on the other side that overhangs the parking deck.
My opinion a rebuild is not in the near future, we need to pack BFS and it will come to be.

We have control over how soon or how late until it happens. So far, season ticket sales are going fast and hopefully single game tickets will go quickly as well.
We are going to have to sell out every single game for this to even be in consideration. That includes FCS games. If we sell out big games extremely fast but barely sell out games like Norfolk State, I don't see an upgrade coming any time soon.
Demand is going to have to be sky high before they will even consider it. We have to show that they are losing money because there aren't enough seats.
If we have any struggles in the transition, that could also impact how quickly this happens. There's a possibility that the buzz of FBS could wear off if the team isn't winning enough.
If everything clicks perfectly, it's possible in the next 5-7 years that we'll see the upgrade. If it doesn't, it could be 15+ years before it happens.

Public hearings were held this week presenting info about the expansion of interstate 81 through Harrisonburg. The project will expand the road from 4 to 6 lanes, and is expected to begin in 2025.

https://www.dnronline.com/news/harrisonb...16e78.html


https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/sta...dening.asp

47M per mile.



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(06-29-2022 02:27 PM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  Public hearings were held this week presenting info about the expansion of interstate 81 through Harrisonburg. The project will expand the road from 4 to 6 lanes, and is expected to begin in 2025.

https://www.dnronline.com/news/harrisonb...16e78.html


https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/sta...dening.asp

Any chance of impacts to P-Lot? I know it's only a couple more lanes, but looks pretty close on google maps.

Traffic is going to be a nightmare when it all starts. Just hope it doesn't take 20 years to finish.

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(06-29-2022 10:19 PM)hburg Wrote:  Traffic is going to be a nightmare when it all starts. Just hope it doesn't take 20 years to finish.

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Shouldn't be 20 with enough work crew, but 5+ years wouldn't be at all surprising.

Some parts of Northern Virginia and DC feel like they are under constant perpetual construction, particularly sections of 66 east. They usually find ways to keep the traffic flowing, though its messy at times. The mixing bowl rebuild where the beltway meets 95 South took forever, but seems like thats mostly done now.

Wonder what will happen to Duke Dog Alley, looks pretty snug up against the interstate already. Maybe it will get some improvements or be replaced with an overhead walkway. That gets used quite a bit on gamedays.

Edit: flyover video looks like Duke Dog Alley is unchanged, though it sure is tight, and the shoulder area narrows on one side.

Seems VDoT is going to expand toward the middle of existing roads. All the bridges except 2 (Carrier Dr and Stone Spring) are going to be rebuilt as they were designed in the early 60's for 2-lanes north and south. Exits need to be redone I saw plans at one time that had exits on Reservoir to direct traffic to the new basketball arena. Should be no impact on campus other than traffic nightmares for big games. Sad its going to happen just as we get going in the new conference. Most likely 5+ years getting done. Should stop the locals from darting on the interstate to go from Port Rd to Rt 33. which some studys show are the leading causes of accidents in the area.

My understanding talking to family is VDOT is looking to expand nearly all of I-81 in a series of projects ... now that could take 20+ years, and there will likely be some bottlenecks where 3 lanes merge to 2 at various stages. I'd guess 5 years or so perhaps for the HBurg segment.

Found a VDOT link to the overall master expansion plan for I81. They have a rough timeline, and looks like it extends out to around 2032 to expand around 90% or so of I81. There would still be some gaps/stretchs of 2 lanes, which could make traffic "interesting" - particularly in the stretch from Winchester to Harrisonburg.

https://improve81.org/

Now if they can actually get people to keep right except to pass it'll really improve things lol

mentions noise barriers being built. not sure if I am for or against noise barriers through the campus. ideally the would put a platform over the entire stretch through the campus and make it a park or something - probably a $1 billion $$$ ticket item, so probably not happening

I take I-81 every day and used to take the dreaded I-81 corridor between Christiansburg and Salem.
That part of 81 is BAD. The amount of accidents in that area is incredible. Accidents on that part of the road are at least a weekly thing and will be backed up for miles. A few times they've had to close the interstate entirely. They've been talking about expanding that part of 81 for decades. I'm pretty sure it was approved several years ago but I have yet to see any actual work done in that area.
There's no doubt Harrisonburg needs the expansion, but I just cannot understand why that area would be finished before the 81 corridor.

Looking at the 81 master plan map, it looks like there’s a couple projects underway now near Salem. But zooming in, it’s also clear there will still be a lot of gaps in 2032. It really could take 20+ years to get all of it completed … then it will be time to expand again, lol

For this phase it looks like HBurg and Staunton segments are planned to be under construction from 2024 to 2028 or 2029 timeframe.

(06-30-2022 11:24 AM)PGJMU2 Wrote:  mentions noise barriers being built. not sure if I am for or against noise barriers through the campus. ideally the would put a platform over the entire stretch through the campus and make it a park or something - probably a $1 billion $$$ ticket item, so probably not happening

Covering 81 was an idea that Ron Carrier proposed. It would be a fantastic way to connect both sides of campus, but the idea never seemed to go anywhere. As you suggest, probably because of $$$

(06-30-2022 11:24 AM)PGJMU2 Wrote:  mentions noise barriers being built. not sure if I am for or against noise barriers through the campus. ideally the would put a platform over the entire stretch through the campus and make it a park or something - probably a $1 billion $$$ ticket item, so probably not happening

If you watch the Flyover video(s) from the project website from VDOT, you can see the locations where the walls are proposed. They are not proposed through campus except on the western (southbound) side, north of where Carrier Drive crosses the interstate. So it would not be blocking any of the quality views of campus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiwADnZBOig

(06-29-2022 06:51 PM)JMURocks Wrote:  

(06-29-2022 02:27 PM)Deez Nuts Wrote:  Public hearings were held this week presenting info about the expansion of interstate 81 through Harrisonburg. The project will expand the road from 4 to 6 lanes, and is expected to begin in 2025.

https://www.dnronline.com/news/harrisonb...16e78.html


https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/sta...dening.asp

Any chance of impacts to P-Lot? I know it's only a couple more lanes, but looks pretty close on google maps.

No impact. Thanks for asking the important questions!

(06-30-2022 11:48 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-30-2022 11:24 AM)PGJMU2 Wrote:  mentions noise barriers being built. not sure if I am for or against noise barriers through the campus. ideally the would put a platform over the entire stretch through the campus and make it a park or something - probably a $1 billion $$$ ticket item, so probably not happening

Covering 81 was an idea that Ron Carrier proposed. It would be a fantastic way to connect both sides of campus, but the idea never seemed to go anywhere. As you suggest, probably because of $$$

https://www.twincities.com/2021/02/02/ro...esign/amp/

Or several of these would be cool!

https://78.media.tumblr.com/94778d09dd14...3_1280.jpg

(06-30-2022 09:16 PM)DukedoG06 Wrote:  

(06-30-2022 11:48 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-30-2022 11:24 AM)PGJMU2 Wrote:  mentions noise barriers being built. not sure if I am for or against noise barriers through the campus. ideally the would put a platform over the entire stretch through the campus and make it a park or something - probably a $1 billion $$$ ticket item, so probably not happening

Covering 81 was an idea that Ron Carrier proposed. It would be a fantastic way to connect both sides of campus, but the idea never seemed to go anywhere. As you suggest, probably because of $$$

https://www.twincities.com/2021/02/02/ro...esign/amp/

Or several of these would be cool!

https://78.media.tumblr.com/94778d09dd14...3_1280.jpg

Yep, exactly like the examples you posted. It would be an incredible positive change to campus, although it would limit some of the free “PR” JMU receives as people driving on 81 would possibly no longer be exposed to the campus, and in particular, BFS.

JMU Libraries has finally announced that the Carrier Library Expansion and Renovation will begin in May of 2023.

https://www.lib.jmu.edu/carrier-renovati...ouncement/

I thought it was a 2-year project but the fact that it is a 3-year project shows the scale of how big this will be for JMU.