Next semester some NIU students will have to catch the Huskie Bus on the other side of the King Memorial Commons.

When Lucinda Avenue turns into a one-way street next fall because of the Lucinda Avenue renovation project, three Huskie Bus routes will be loading and unloading on the south side of the MLK commons.

A new bus turnaround will be constructed this summer at the end of Carroll Avenue, just west of Founders Memorial Library.

Charlie Battista, Huskie Line general manager, said routes 1, 3 and 4 will be loading and unloading in the new turnaround.

“Routes 2, 5, 6 and 7 will continue to load and unload in the current turnaround,” Battista said. “However, this is all contingent upon if what we were told is what will happen.”

He said he was not sure how long the new turnaround will be used, but the immediate use will be out of necessity.

Patricia Perkins, assistant to the vice president of Finance and Planning, said the project is out to bid right now, and the bids are expected to come in toward the end of April.

“Construction is scheduled to begin in May and should be completed by the beginning of fall semester,” Perkins said.

She said the construction will consist of widening the turnaround area to accommodate the large turning radius of the buses.

“Part of the island between Carroll Avenue and the parking lot will be broken through,” she said. “The buses then will be able to take students out of the area through parking lot 17.”

Perkins said the new turnaround is a temporary solution to a temporary problem. “The new turnaround is being constructed to alleviate Lucinda traffic during its renovation,” she said.

She added pedestrian shelters will be erected in the area as well.

Janet Potter, Student Association Mass Transit Board adviser, said three pedestrian shelters are being purchased for the new turnaround.

“We are trying to coordinate the delivery of the shelters with the construction so we can get them up on time,” Potter said. “They will be erected on the library side of Carroll Avenue.”

She said parking lot 17 will not be a gated parking lot because the buses will have to be able to exit the lot regularly.

“The lot will remain a blue-sticker lot but will no longer be gated,” she said. “There will only be two parking spaces lost because of the construction.”