The walkway linking Mesa Court housing to the Student Center is expected to be completed by the end of summer. Kathy Haq / UCI

The walkway that will connect Mesa Court housing to the UCI Student Center is more than just a bridge. It’s a way to maintain a cohesive campus environment, increase pedestrian safety and provide better access from dorms to the Student Center for mobility-impaired students, said Wendell Brase, vice chancellor for administrative & business services. “It’s unusual for a campus the size of the University of California, Irvine to have as few four-lane roads as we do,” he said. “Our pedestrian bridges are a good alternative to huge intersections, which are typically developed where closely spaced crosswalks intersect and slow traffic on a high-volume arterial.” The walkway, expected to be completed by late summer, is being built, in part, to accommodate increased foot traffic with the opening of Mesa Court Towers housing this fall. “But the overarching goal,” Brase said, “is to maintain the experience of a cohesive campus community as we grow.”