VCU news

By Corey Byers

Virginia Commonwealth University will host its annual New Student Convocation and Spirit Walk on Monday, Aug. 19. The VCU Police Department will close roads for an estimated 20 minutes to allow students to walk from the Stuart C. Siegel Center to the University Student Commons.

Starting at approximately 4:45 p.m., police will briefly close all eastbound and westbound lanes of West Broad Street at the north intersection of Harrison Street. (The exact start time and length of the closure are subject to change.) VCU Police officers will lead and follow Spirit Walk participants.

“As in past years, we will work to make sure Spirit Walk participants are safe and to minimize the impacts to traffic and GRTC buses,” said VCU Police Capt. Jonathan Siok. “We want to keep things moving safely and quickly during the rush hour downtown.”

VCU Police will briefly close Harrison Street between Broad Street and Grove Avenue to allow participants to walk the route. Police will block intersections along Harrison Street and will reopen streets for vehicular travel as soon as participants pass through. Drivers are encouraged to avoid this area of Harrison Street between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.; police advise using North Laurel and North Lombardy streets as alternate routes to West Main and Broad streets.

The Spirit Walk route continues south on Harrison Street, east onto Grove Avenue and south on North Linden Street. Police will briefly close the intersections of Floyd Avenue and North Harrison Street and Floyd and North Cherry Street, and the westbound travel lane of North Laurel Street at Cathedral Place, as participants walk to the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave.

Police advise taking alternate routes through the area while Broad Street is closed. Suggested alternatives include Leigh or Cary streets, Interstate 95 or the Downtown Expressway.