02.10.10 
Road to open soon alongside Southeastern in time for National Leadership Forum

By Southeastern University

The roughly half-mile portion of Longfellow Boulevard that's under construction in front of Southeastern will open to traffic in early March - just in time for the fourth annual National Leadership Forum, school officials say.

Currently, there is a temporary road parallel to the one that's under construction. Longfellow is being widened with numerous improvements from its terminus at North Crystal Lake Drive northward along the west side of the university property. The road will include three left-turn lanes, a 425-foot-long, 12-foot-wide, beautifully landscaped median, a pedestrian crossing, and 3,000+ linear feet of underground storm-water system improvements so water can be properly treated and transported to Little Lake Bonny on the west side of Longfellow.

The road construction is part of a bigger project that began last March and should be completed late spring, school officials said. The project, estimated at $3 million, encompasses about 10 acres and includes:

Two stately, lighted gateways - each two stories tall - on each side of Longfellow's south end

A lighted parking lot for 281 vehicles, plus four retention ponds on the west side of Longfellow between Little Lake Bonny and North Crystal Lake Drive

An east-west pedestrian crossing from the new parking lot, through the new Longfellow median, and onto the university's property via a small bridge that passes over a pre-existing retention pond (That crossing will include a pedestrian-activated traffic-control device.)

Underground utilities

Sidewalks, decorative fence, aesthetic lighting, landscaping, and queen palm trees on both sides of the road (The new median is already adorned with eight date palm trees.)

A custom-designed, upgraded transit shelter for Citrus Connection commuters, located in front of the university's Steelman Library and Addison Hall administration building

Four-way stop signs on Longfellow at Prima Vista Boulevard, the university's main entrance

Southeastern is expecting more than 750 people at the National Leadership Forum, which is set for March 10-12 during the students' spring break. This year's lineup of influential speakers is headed by former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush. Joyce Meyer, Andy Stanley, Jim Collins, and Marcus Buckingham also will be among The Forum speakers.