Traffic patterns at King’s Daughters Medical Center will changetoday after construction crews erect fencing to close off an areanear the emergency room to ensure public safety during the10-month-long hospital improvement project.

The change that will have the most effect on visitors to thehospital is the closure of the lane leading to the emergency roomdoors, said Chief Executive Officer Phillip Grady.

“The biggest impact for the public will be at the emergencydepartment,” he said. “The entrance people are used to coming intoto get to the emergency department will be closed during this10-month construction cycle. Obviously, we will reopen it as soonas possible.”

Construction to enlarge the emergency department and theIntensive Care Unit at the rear of the hospital is forcing theclosure, Grady said.

People transporting emergency patients to the hospital will haveto travel a little farther along Biglane Drive before turning intothe parking lot, or they can enter the parking lot from theBrookman Drive entrance, he said.

The emergency entrance will be clearly marked with “No Entrance”later this week, Grady said.

Patients will now be directed to enter through the seconddriveway, which is located directly across from the Moak-MassengillClinic.

Not only will the emergency lane be closed, but a 32-spotportion of the back parking lot will also be fenced off.

To account for the decrease in parking, an area previouslydesignated as employee parking in front of the Education Annex andambulance service has been opened to patients, he said.

“We have allowed for adequate parking,” Grady said. “Although,in some cases, they may have to walk a bit farther.”

Parking on the other side of the hospital, facing Highway 51,will not be affected by the construction, although parking maybecome more limited as overflow visitors from the rear parking lotuse those spaces, he said.