Since mid-January, Hildebrand Avenue has operated as an eastbound one-way stretch. Construction has moved onto Broadway, affecting local businesses in the proximity and their access to Trinity students and faculty.

Construction is slated to end in summer 2014. Despite classes having just begun for the calendar year, students are already feeling the effects of the lane reduction.

Senior Lauren Turley sympathizes with her fellow drivers, especially those who are living in San Antonio and are unfamiliar with its roads.

“I could see how this construction would make driving in San Antonio difficult,” Turley said. “Especially for those learning about the area for the first time.”

Others point out problems returning to campus once they are on Broadway.

“It takes me longer to get back from somewhere like Central Market,” said Barbara Berkova, a junior. “It is definitely an inconvenience.”

City officials do not recommend taking Mulberry Avenue as an alternative as it is one lane in each direction. A turnaround at the intersection of E. Josephine Street and Broadway is suggested, as it links with 281 North. Students can also head north to Basse Road or take Patterson Avenue to Estes and Olmos Dam.

Jamie Keith, who has been working at The Wash Tub on Broadway for nine years, acknowledged that business at that location has been hindered as a result of construction.

“It has slowed business a little bit, inevitably,” Keith said. “But I think that our location on Austin Highway has received a lot of the business we may have lost here.”

Chiefly affected by construction on Broadway are the AT&T building, The Wash Tub, the Wells Fargo location and the University of Incarnate Word (UIW).

While the construction is a nuisance for some, not every student sees it as a negative.

“It does make accessing the freeway more difficult,” said Paige Patrick, a senior, “but I think in the end it could make people explore different parts and new streets of San Antonio.”

Although construction was initially marked to begin in the spring of 2011, it did not start until this past January. A lawsuit with the Headwaters Coalition and the River Road Neighborhood Association against the city slowed progress.

Students are advised to carefully plan their commutes or trips from the school, as Broadway is popular for many with its eateries, groceries, post office and connection to the downtown area.

Construction at the intersection of Hildebrand and Broadway takes away multiple lanes and causes traffic delays.