Riverside, Calif., February 25, 2002 -- Be faithful in taking your blood pressure meds. The corner of Pierce and Sierra Vista is closed. If you want to drive downhill from the La Sierra University campus to the LSU Alumni Center or the Southeaster California Conference office, be prepared to put mileage on your car. If you need to get to the Ad Building from Sierra Vista Ave., you get to take the scenic route through Campus Drive, over speed bumps and the Two-Bit mountainside. It might be faster to exchange your spike heels for Nikes and just hoof it! (Or "Just Do It.") Cutting through parking lots, moving barricades, or four-wheeling through the fields will get you in big trouble. Some neighborhood residents have already tried it!

Here are some alternate routes:

Coming off the 91 Fwy and Magnolia, you may continue to drive up Pierce to the University, past the "Road Closed to Thru Traffic" signs. (LSU is not thru anyplace, anymore!) You may access Campus Drive by Raley, to get to and from the campus post office, health service, Palmer Hall, etc. This is the route between 7 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., M-Th, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, and noon to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays.

To get to points north of Sierra Vista Ave. from the campus, particularly at night and on weekends, you'll need to take Pierce south to Collett east, then left on RiverWalk Parkway toward the conference office (where it becomes Golden at the light), take Golden to Doverwood, turn left, and go west to Sierra Vista Ave. Another left on Sierra Vista gets you to Campus Drive. A right would get you to your home neighborhood, if you're a La Sierra resident.

To reach the conference office, Southeastern Print & Copy, La Sierra Post Office, the Alumni Center, and (of some importance) Del Taco, from the main University campus, go south on Pierce to Collett, turn left and take RiverWalk Parkway back northeast toward where it meets Pierce at the conference office.

Oi vei. It's only temporary. We think. (Although it could become permanent.) Pierce must be closed at Sierra Vista so that the road builders can finish off the RiverWalk/Sierra Vista connection. They are trying to open the intersection in time for LSU's Alumni Weekend, March 7-10. But you know how construction can be delayed, so prepare yourself.

This phase of the street closure/detours will last two to three weeks, according to Chuck Nelson, director of LSU Physical Plant. And the detours are not permanent, says Doug Nophsker, director of Security. There are several sets of plans for Pierce Street and the new parking spaces and the ceremonial entrance. But plans are not "set in concrete" yet.

Drive carefully. Glide slowly over the speed bumps. Keep your SUV in 2WD, no matter how tempting the alternatives. And breathe deeply and paste a smile on, hoping your face will stick that way.

View the PDF file showing the updates here.

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by Christy Robinson