A new walkway under construction at UC Riverside will provide easier access at the northwest corner of campus, including to and from a major new student housing project.
The South Recreation Mall project began construction in spring and is expected to be completed by fall, said Daneca Stevens, a project manager with the Office of Planning, Design, and Construction.
The new concrete path will run alongside the UCR Soccer Field, which will see improvements as a result, and link to an existing path to the north next to the UCR Track Facility.
The North District phase 2 student housing project is planned for just north of that area, at the corner of Linden Street and Canyon Crest Drive.
The new path will allow students living in the North District easy access to the main campus, Stevens said.
Built on an undeveloped dirt area, the new path creates an additional way to access the Student Recreation Center, the Multidisciplinary Research Building, the Materials Science and Engineering Building, and North Campus Drive. It connects to an existing walkway that goes west to Canyon Crest Drive.
A construction crew has already completed a set of stairs with a bike ramp and a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the new path. Other planned improvements include landscaping, an irrigation system, and light poles.
New fencing is being placed around the soccer field and a new scoreboard will be installed, replacing an outdated one.
"The continued growth and enhancement on campus is incredibly exciting,” said Tim Cupello, UCR head men’s soccer coach. “This South Recreation Center Mall project will likely become a high traffic area on campus, which will lead to a great opportunity for our campus community to connect more with our student-athletes."
Wesley Mallette, director of Intercollegiate Athletics, said the new scoreboard and fencing will enhance Athletics’ playing areas.
“Our student-athletes and fans are going to enjoy the experience in our soccer stadium even more and we are thankful for these improvements,” he said.
