Roundabout will link majority of UW Campus

The University of Waterloo is expanding its campus and creating new spaces and the region is building new roads to help us get there.<br />
<br />
During past weeks, construction of a new roundabout has been taking place on Westmount Road.<br />
<br />
The roundabout, named &ldquo;Street B,&rdquo; will provide access to UW&rsquo;s northwest campus, and will be located in northwest campus, between Columbia Street and Bearinger Road. This new street will be a continuation of Laurelwood Drive, and will be the first stage of development of the northwest campus area.<br />
<br />
The City of Waterloo is also constructing three fields and amenities on a portion of land that borders Laurel Creek. The city leased this land from UW in the beginning of 2006.<br />
<br />
The new sports field and amenities were part of a 2006 proposal to the City of Waterloo that included the construction of the Harper Public Library and a YMCA club. The northwest campus development design guidelines were last approved in October of 2012. Street B will connect to the Laurelwood neighbourhoods to the west via the Stork Family YMCA and Harper Library. It will also make connections eastward to the R&amp;T Park. &nbsp;<br />
<br />
This new area will also support the construction of new university buildings and facilities as stated in the original proposal: &ldquo;In addition to the existing YMCA/library, this will include university buildings and technology intensive companies undertaking applied research and innovative product development in co-operation with the university. The streets will connect into the broader city grid and Street B &mdash; the main street- &mdash;&nbsp; will provide connections to the Laurelwood neighbourhood to the west, and in the long term transit and UW northwest campus and pedestrian connection to the R&amp;T Park.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
The development will also include two additional streets named Street A and C.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;Two secondary &lsquo;university&rsquo; streets (Streets A and C) provide north-south connectivity through the northwest campus. These streets will be designed and constructed in a similar fashion to the east-west public street, although without the central median,&rdquo; the proposal said.<br />
<br />
The construction of the roundabout is expected to be finished by late fall.