Ranging from the Purple Line to new cultural centers, construction continues to be a major presence on the University of Maryland campus. But multiple projects have seen progress since the beginning of fall semester, and some are predicted to complete during spring or summer 2025.
Here’s a roundup of construction updates for this spring semester.
Purple Line
Estimated to open for service in winter 2027
Major Purple Line construction continues east of Turner Hall and west of Alumni Drive, a Wednesday statement from this university said.
Several changes in traffic patterns caused by Purple Line construction will affect the College Park community, according to this university’s administration website. Left turns are not allowed from Adelphi Road onto Campus Drive, or from westbound Campus Drive to southbound Adelphi Road through about Feb. 8.
The website states Rossborough Lane is closed west of Route 1 near Turner Hall and Rossborough Inn. The lane is also closed from Route 1 to Diamondback Drive near Ritchie Coliseum.
Route 1 will have occasional lane closures at Rossborough Lane, but one lane each going south and north will be open at all times, according to the website.
Students may have also noticed some new structures lining Campus Drive.
These structures, which are called overhead catenary system poles and arms, are in the process of being constructed, according to a Purple Line statement on Tuesday. The poles and arms will help support the wires that will help power Purple Line light rail vehicles.
Workers continue to install tracks on Rossborough Avenue and Campus Drive east of Route 1, according to the Purple Line statement.
The canopy of the Campus Drive station has also been completed. Part of the Purple Line’s “Art in Transit” program, the canopy features colorful laminated glass panels, ranging from purple to clear glass, the Purple Line statement said.
Stanley R. Zupnik Hall
Estimated to be completed in August 2026
The Stanley R. Zupnik Hall will house the civil and environmental engineering department and 31 new laboratories, according to the engineering school’s website. The hall will be at the corner of Paint Branch and Stadium Drive.
Underground utilities and the structural concrete frame of the building are finished, according to a statement from this university.
Leonardtown Graduate Housing
Estimated to open to residents in fall 2026
The Leonardtown Graduate Student Housing project — which aims to give graduate students more housing options — will accomodate about 800 graduate students, according to a website for Mosaic Development, a developer of the project.
Progress on the project is “well-underway,” the university statement read.
Cole Head House and cultural center renovations
Renovation estimated to be completed in July 2025
This renovation project will add five new cultural centers to Cole Head House, according to this university’s website. The centers will serve disabled, Latinx, multiracial, Native American and Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American students.
Interior demolition has been completed and the new elevator shaft has been installed, according to the university statement. Spaces for the wellness room and the ADA-compliant and all-gender restroom have also opened.
Barry P. Gossett Basketball Performance Center
Estimated to be completed in August 2025
This center will feature new amenities for this university’s basketball program, including an expanded strength and conditioning center as well as game planning spaces, lounging areas and practice courts, according to the center’s website.
Exterior glass installation is complete, and the first coat of paint is done in certain inside areas, the university statement read. The center, located adjacent to the Xfinity Center, is also now watertight.
Softball Player Development Center
Estimated to be completed in April 2025
This center will feature climate-controlled practice spaces for both softball hitters and pitchers to practice year-round, according to this university’s athletics department website.
The foundation, building floor and masonry roof have been built, and the roof steel has been installed, according to the university statement.
Lessened inconvenience on students
Some students said construction seemed to present less of an inconvenience compared to the fall semester.
“Right now it’s better, but still not what it could be,” junior economics major Allison Saenger said.
Sophomore psychology major Catherine Tran said while construction along Campus Drive appears to have cleared up, construction near William E. Kirwan Hall still breaks up her path when walking to class.
“I think it’s just inconvenient, and also walking everywhere, everyone’s already crowded anyway, and construction just makes it worse,” Tran said.