With a $26 million project to construct a new Orem High School in the existing school's main parking lot fully underway, traffic and parking at times can be precarious but everyone is managing, officials say.

Joel Perkins, an assistant principal at Orem High, said school administrators met earlier this summer with Orem city transportation and contractor representatives to iron out plans to ensure pedestrian and motorist safety in and around campus. Of particular concern is the 400 East corridor where buses, cars and pedestrians converge as they come and go from the school.

In addition to eliminating perpendicular parking slots in front of the school on the east side of 400 East, school and city administrators agreed to move the crosswalk north closer to 200 South. They've also added new sidewalk, curb and gutter along 400 East and fenced in construction zones to protect those on campus.

"We feel fairly confident that we've crafted the best solution we can," Perkins said. "We haven't seen any problems with traffic at all."

Residents along Campus Drive to the school's east had expressed some concerns earlier this summer when initial construction activity produced dust and paving machines created noise. Water trucks were dispatched to suppress the dust. Despite the annoyances, Perkins said the school is doing everything it can to be a good neighbor.

"For the most part, our neighbors have been very cooperative knowing that the end result will be fantastic school and something that adds value to the community," he said.

Orem transportation officials said they haven't been contacted by residents about construction-related traffic concerns since the work commenced in May.

Surprisingly, though the large south parking lot foot print is currently the project's bull's-eye, Orem High has only had a net loss of 30 parking stalls from its previous contingent of 400 slots, Perkins said. New parking lots have been built and a premium high occupancy vehicle lot for junior and senior students with two or more passengers is located right outside the school's front doors.

"It's been fantastic," Perkins said. "Sometimes there are cars with five kids in them coming out of the lot."

Though parking access to the athletics fields is trickier without the south lot, there is parking off Campus Drive and on the north side of campus. Those attending athletic events should allow themselves extra travel time to familiarize themselves with the new parking layout, Perkins said.

Keith Larsen, Orem's traffic operations engineer, said street-side permit parking is available to residents on the west side of 400 East. The city is also evaluating vehicle speeds particularly from construction vehicle traffic on Campus Boulevard to determine if any changes need to be made.

"It's going to be awfully congested for the next couple of years," he said.

Yet Paul Goodrich, the city's transportation engineer and an Orem Tiger alumnus, said occassional heavy traffic is nothing new to 400 East in front of the school.

"Being a student in the '70s, there were problems even way back then," he said. "What I've witnessed, it's no worse or better than previous conditions."

Contractors have already completed Orem High's new football field and track including a new sprinkling system, and a new driving range, athletic facilities, and tennis courts, Perkins said. The new school is anticipated to be opened for school in August of 2010.

Residents with traffic- and parking-related concerns about the area can contact Paul Goodrich at 229-7000.