Construction to hamper parking, traffic near Union Theater

Two monthslong construction projects will hamper traffic and parking near the Wisconsin Union Theater beginning this week, officials said.

Wisconsin Union Theater spokeswoman Esty Dinur said the construction of an underground loading dock at Memorial Union and a city of Madison Langdon Street utility project will close UW-Madison’s Parking Lot 1 beginning Tuesday. Parking Lot 1 is off Langdon Street and adjacent to Memorial Union.

The underground loading dock will be part of the Lakefront Gateway project, according to a release. The plan will remove the surface parking lot, build an underground loading dock, and create Alumni Park. Alumni Park will connect the Memorial Union Terrace with Library Mall and will honor the Wisconsin Idea and University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni.

Langdon Street from North Lake Street to Park Street also closed Tuesday. Langdon will reopen at the end of October.

Officials said the Memorial Union Terrace will not be affected by the construction during the summer, but parking will not be available in Lot 1.

The theater and its box office are open, and the Memorial Union, the Pyle Center and the Wisconsin Alumni Association will remain open and accessible during the construction.

Dinur said there are more than 2,600 visitor parking stalls within a 5-minute walk of the Wisconsin Union Theater: Lots 6, 7 (Grainger Hall), 46, 83 (Fluno Center), the Lake Street Ramp, and others.