Photo by Todd Gill / Enlarge

A section of stones from a wall surrounding Old Main lawn was removed this week to allow for a temporary construction service road.

Construction of a temporary service road through Old Main lawn on the University of Arkansas campus began this week.

Crews have removed stones from the rock wall that runs along Dickson Street and will soon begin work on a gravel path that will allow for the delivery of construction supplies to a planned $60 million renovation and expansion project of Vol Walker and Ozark halls.

Construction is set to last about two years. After that, UA officials say the road will be removed.

“When we are finished, we will restore the wall, we will take up the road, we will go back and re-sod and replant,” said Mike Johnson, the university’s associate vice chancellor for facilities.

Plans for the service road originally called for an access point at the corner of Lafayette Street and Arkansas Avenue. However, the access point was moved to Dickson Street after public outcry over the potential for heavy vehicular traffic on Lafayette Street.

Service road map