Motorists will be forced to avoid the sharp curve in Stewart Street behind Gamertsfelder Hall while construction crews work to straighten out the street.

That portion of Stewart Street soon will be closed to through traffic for three weeks, said Richard Schultz, facility planner for Ohio University. The street only will be open to local traffic so residents of Gamertsfelder and the rental properties along Stewart Street can get to their homes.

Construction work on the new Stewart Street began a couple of weeks ago, and university officials expect paving of the new street to begin by the end of November, Schultz said.

The new section of Stewart Street will diverge from the current street near the Morton Hall parking lot. The road will curve through the green space in front of the volleyball courts on the edge of South Green and connect to the current Stewart Street in front of Washington Hall, just past the Gamertsfelder curve.

The university will pay $480,000 for the construction. The money will come from the surface parking lot fund, Schultz said.

The university will have sole responsibility for the upkeep of the street, said Michael Worley, R-1st Ward. The city does plan to help the university keep the road clear of snow during the winter months, though.

The old section of Stewart Street containing the sharp curve, located behind Gamertsfelder Hall, will become property of the city. White barricades will close off this section of the road. University and emergency vehicles only will be able to use it, Worley said.

In addition to putting in a new section of Stewart Street, construction crews are rerouting a sewer line down the new Stewart Street path, Mayor Richard Abel said.

The sewer line currently runs under Mulberry Street to North McKinley Avenue, but the pipe breaks often, Abel said. To help rid the city of this problem a new pipe will be installed under the new Stewart Street and will connect with existing pipes in front of Washington Hall.