The center section of Pollock Road near Old Main will close to traffic and become a pedestrian-only zone beginning at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 17. The gates installed at each end of the area will be lowered and locked down at all times — 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

OPP will create a designated bicycle lane between the two gates with space for one direction of bicycle traffic to pass through at a time. The Campus Shuttle via Pollock Road route will also be changed, with full details to come later this summer.

Vehicle access to Old Main, Lot Brown E, the Carnegie Building parking area, and Lot Brown A will only be accessible coming from Burrowes Road. Lot Brown B and Lot Brown C will only be accessible coming from Shortlidge Road.

Penn State originally reduced traffic during peak hours in the early 2000s, with metal bollards placed in the roadway that could be raised and lowered. Due to issues with winter weather, the bollards were removed and replaced with the current illuminated gates last year.

“This closure is part of the university’s continuous effort to improve pedestrian safety,” Bill Sitzabee, associate vice president and chief facilities officer of OPP, said in a release. “With the Pollock Road corridor seeing pedestrian traffic numbering in the thousands during the academic year, we are confident the change will not only increase safety for students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors, but also improve pedestrian traffic flow through the area.”