RALEIGH, N.C. -- WakeMed’s familiar visitor entrance closed on Monday to make way for construction of a new patient tower. Now, visitors are being re-routed through the hospital’s Rehab hospital. 

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The long-time visitor parking deck was demolished earlier this year in preparation for construction of the 102-bed tower. That caused some reshuffling for visitors and employees. Signs are posted to direct traffic, but NBC17 cameras saw some uncertain drivers on campus a few days after the change.

 

About 400 employees volunteered to be moved to an off-campus parking about a mile down the road.

 

“Those 400 volunteers have made room for visitors in our parking deck that’s adjacent to our main campus,” said David Coulter, Administrator of WakeMed Raleigh campus. “So there’s one side of our parking deck now that is dedicated to visitors.”

 

Coulter said managers and those with flexible work schedules were encouraged to volunteer for relocation. Many of them, like physical therapy manager Skip Roy, were fine with the change. But he said it requires him to plan ahead. 

 

”If I’m in the Cary Hospital, I know I have to leave in time to get back to the shuttle lot and then allow time for what time the shuttle comes,” said Roy. “Especially if it’s mid-day and it comes every 15 minutes.”

 

The 12 employee shuttle buses run more frequently during peak morning and afternoon hours. A new parking deck with 1,200 spaces for visitors and employees is being built concurrent with the tower construction. Administrators expect the rerouting to continue until the projects are complete in early 2010.