HARDING BLVD. WIDENS

Southern University students will no longer have a problem waiting in line to make a turn off Harding Boulevard, but those unregistered cars parked on Harding may be upset, because they will soon have to get their vehicles registered and park at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
November 5th is the start date of the construction on Harding, which will upgrade the street into three lanes instead of two.
According to Keith Palermo, project engineer for the State Department of Transportation, the construction will begin in the curve by the bluff and end by the old livestock road. There will be a turning lane in the middle of the two north and south bound lanes.
The shoulders of Harding will soon be turned into another lane causing many commuters to find else where to park, said Kevin Johnson, deputy administrator of the Police Department.
The students have until November 16th to get their cars registered.
The cars that normally park on the shoulders of Harding are not allowed to park there beginning November 5th.
Students whose cars are not registered must park only at the Activity Center in order to prevent receiving a ticket.
According to Johnson, tickets will not be issued to vehicles between November 5th-16th.
If vehicles are parked illegally anywhere else besides the Activity Center, the vehicles will be ticketed.
“There is ample enough parking at the Activity Center, we are giving them time to register their cars and prevent towing,” said Johnson
The widening of Harding is state and federally funded and will cost a total of $1,722,545.90, according to Palermo.
The State Department of Transportation predicts the project to be completed within 150 days, according to Palermo.
“We will work as fast as we can, we will also try to work for the best interest of the students during the construction,” said Palermo.