The University campus is undergoing unprecedented growth and with it, unprecedented construction — a reality that is impossible to forget for anyone attempting to navigate its pathways. Pathway closures are a necessary impact of campus construction as work continues to fulfill the University’s 2026 Capital Plan, which includes the construction of Hobson College, the new Environmental Studies & School of Engineering and Applied Science (ES & SEAS) complex, Frist Health Center, and other campus improvements.
Pathways currently closed on campus include the walkway behind Murray-Dodge Hall, between the Hobson College construction zone and Jones Hall, the passageway that runs from the Center for Jewish Life to Prospect Ave, and the pathway through the parking lot between the Engineering Quad and Von Neumann Hall.
The pathway closure behind Murray-Dodge Hall, new this semester, is particularly impactful to the Murray-Dodge Café, whose typical entrance next to the Princeton University Art Museum site is completely blocked by construction. Potential patrons must now enter through the first floor of Murray-Dodge Hall and navigate to the basement through the internal staircase. The instructions to access the temporary café entrance were posted on Murray-Dodge Café’s Instagram.
“I think it’s kind of inconvenient because that was a path I often took to (a) go to Murray-Dodge and (b) go to Whig Hall,” Michelle Miao ’26 noted.
Miao is a News contributor for The Daily Princetonian.
Pathways will begin reopening as construction projects finish. According to University Spokesperson Jennifer Morrill, pathway closures in the area surrounding Princeton Stadium will be resolved prior to the first home football game of the season, currently scheduled for Sept. 28. More paths around the Art Museum and Frist Health Center will open this fall as exterior construction on both projects is completed.
The facilities construction web page provides students with various resources for remaining up to date with campus construction projects. While it promises to be updated regularly, it does occasionally fail to be updated with the latest closures. Several students cited the seemingly sudden closures as an obstacle to make it on time to classes and other commitments.
“Since I no longer live close to [the path], it’s been less inconvenient, but I would still appreciate having that path open since it’s a quicker way to get to class,” Miao said.
“I think it’s very annoying, because there’s a lot of foot traffic that could go there and [the path is] not [there]. It makes the walk much longer from the dorms to the other part of campus like the E-Quad,” Henry Baquerizo ’26 told the ‘Prince.’
“We recognize that construction impacts the entire community and can be frustrating as [students] navigate campus,” Morrill wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “Facilities works with colleagues across campus to coordinate upcoming work in consideration of the academic calendar. We will continue to inform the surrounding dorms and communicate construction impacts to the campus community.”
The website features a static construction pathways map which highlights construction impacts, closed pathways, suggested bike lanes, and steep slopes. However, other routes not featured on the Facilities website may also be closed, according to the University.
Students who seek more immediate updates can also reference the “campus impacts” layer of the interactive facilities map, which contains frequently updated construction impact information, among other information relevant to pathfinding. In addition to the mapping resources, community members can sign up for construction impact notifications via email or text by using the TigerSafe app, or by texting “Updates” to 67283.
Vitus Larrieu is a senior News writer and head Podcast editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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