Walsh Jesuit’s new access road is expected to open by the end of July and be ready for students and families before the start of the 2026–27 school year. School leaders hope the new entrance will help ease the heavy traffic that often builds up around Wyoga Lake Road before and after school.
WJ President, Mr. Tim Grady, says, “We were worried kids would be late for school every day, late for work, late for training, or delayed getting home.”
Construction projects on and around Wyoga Lake Road played a major role in the school’s decision to move forward with the project. Mr. Grady explained that school leaders were concerned traffic would become even worse during the next two years of road construction in the area.
“We didn’t have time to wait a couple of years to build the road,” Mr. Grady says. “If everyone were stuck in traffic while construction was happening, we could have already had a solution in place.”
Students have already started discussing how much the new road could help daily traffic around campus. Junior Maura Christie says, “I think everyone’s really excited for the new road because traffic has been such a problem for a long time. It should make getting to school a lot less stressful for students, parents, and teachers, especially during the morning rush and after school when everything gets backed up on Wyoga Lake.”
The new private road is approximately a quarter mile long and will serve as a second entrance to campus. According to Mr. Grady, the road will include two lanes, multiple speed tables, and blinking warning lights designed to improve student safety. At the point where the road connects with State Road, a turning lane will also be installed to help traffic move more efficiently as it enters and leaves campus.
Mr. Grady said the school is concerned some students may be tempted to speed on the new roadway. “‘Oh, this is fun. This is a long, straight road. I want to drive as fast as I can,” Mr. Grady says, describing the mindset school officials hope to avoid.
School officials hope the speed tables, which Mr. Grady described as “really big speed bumps,” will slow drivers down and make the new road safer for both students and pedestrians. One of the speed tables will also connect with part of the cross-country trail system.
Some students believe the added safety measures could create new traffic concerns of their own. Junior Peter Zografakis says, “My opinion on the speed bump is that it is gonna stop students from speeding, but I think it’s gonna cause more traffic issues because it’s gonna slow down the flow of people moving throughout that road during the day and the hours that are packed.”
Despite those concerns, Peter still believes the project could eventually improve traffic around campus. “Honestly, it kind of feels like traffic is always going to be a problem. It’s just so annoying sitting there, barely moving, and watching the clock when all you want to do is get home or make it to class. Sometimes it feels hopeless, like nothing will ever change. But I do still have a little hope that things can get better, even if it takes a while. If they keep making small improvements every year, maybe someday traffic won’t be such a big deal. Who knows, maybe we’ll look back and laugh about how bad it used to be.”
Junior Matt Shipp also believes the additional entrance could help relieve congestion shared between Walsh and CVCA. “The new road should help a lot with the traffic on Wyoga, especially since we have to share it with CVCA. Right now, it gets really crowded and super frustrating for everyone trying to get in and out.”
Matt also shared concerns similar to Peter’s about balancing safety and traffic flow. “Speed bumps could help make the new road safer because they’d slow people down near students. But if there’s too many of them, traffic could start backing up again and make things take even longer.”
Traffic concerns around Walsh Jesuit have increased significantly over the years. Walsh opened in 1965 with just 153 freshmen, and far fewer students drove to school at the time. Today, Walsh enrolls around 1,012 students, while nearby CVCA enrolls between 840 and 935 students. As both schools have grown, congestion on Wyoga Lake Road has become a daily frustration for many students and families.
Both schools have attempted several solutions over the years, including adjusting start times and adding a stoplight near the Seasons Road intersection. Despite those efforts, traffic has remained a challenge.
Mr. Grady explained that building the new road was not simple because much of the land surrounding Walsh is privately owned. The project also required environmental approval because parts of the property included federally protected wetlands.
“Walsh is 110 acres, but most of the surrounding land is privately owned, so finding a place for the road was difficult,” Mr. Grady says.
School officials hope the additional entrance will improve the overall experience for students, parents, and visiting families entering the campus.
“If a family visited Walsh and sat in traffic for half an hour just trying to get into campus, we were concerned that it could leave a bad first impression,” Mr. Grady says.
The new access road represents Walsh Jesuit’s effort to prepare for future growth and ongoing construction as it continues to improve transportation around campus for students and the school community.
