UW-Eau Claire’s best-known natural fixture, the hill, has seen its share of traffic ever since construction connected it to Garfield Avenue in 1962.

For the past nine months, however, the traffic flow has been restricted to university vehicles only, and could remain that way if some conceptualized options become reality.

“There are a number of different options for redeveloping that road,” Vice Chancellor Andy Soll said. “The engineers may say some of these (options) aren’t feasible and come up with different ones.”

For the time being, Soll said none of these options have been solidified, but there are some that could close the hill perminently if they passed.

“I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if (the hill) closed completely,” Student Senate Vice President Meredith Marx said. “I hope that would be the last option.”

Because the road needs repair, Soll said, the university has asked the Division of State Facilities in Madison to do a study to see what options will be most beneficial.

Some of the options the administrators have talked about include replacing the road entirely, reconfiguring the footbridge ramp system for better access or create a pedestrian plaza. The construction of any of these projects would take place in the summer of 2006 at the earliest, Soll said.

After the riverbank project ends, which could be anytime between late spring to early summer, he said the hill will reopen for public traffic.

Randy Palmer, the grounds supervisor for Facilities Planning and Management, said he favors the idea of keeping public traffic off the hill for the purpose of pedestrian safety.

“We’re still going to allow emergency vehicles,” Palmer said. “I think we’ll continue to try and make this more of a pedestrian-friendly campus.”

In terms of cost, Palmer said replacing the road or implementing one of the projects would have similar price tags, plus the road needs to be restructured anyway. The last major project done to Garfield Avenue came in 1987 when it was resurfaced.

“I think (the road) no longer has any tar in it,” Palmer said. “It’s reverting to gravel.”