It’s the Tuesday after Easter, and you may have already noticed some of the changes coming to Cumberland Avenue.

As of Monday, the construction process of the two year Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project was officially underway. Combine that with VolCard payment options making their way to vendors on the Strip, and you have a recipe for major change, both now and in the immediate future.

Here’s a quick guide of the changes you can expect to see coming your way.

Cumberland Avenue Project:

Anne Wallace, Cumberland Avenue Project manager, answered questions pertaining to the project during an opening meeting at the UT Visitor Center on Friday evening.

Citing problems with left turns and general pedestrian safety issues with the current Cumberland Avenue setup, Wallace said she hopes the plan, which was originally drafted in 2007, will improve the overall economic and aesthetic layout of the area.

“The key to all of this is to plot a course for a more attractive, economically successful and vibrant Cumberland Avenue,” Wallace said.

The first phase of the project will last from April 6 until June 6, consisting of gas, water and sewer line installations by Knoxville Utility Board workers. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained on Cumberland Avenue during this time.

With a projected completion date set for Aug. 31, 2017, construction for the project will be split into four phases focusing on utilities installation and streetscape restoration. While at least two lanes of traffic will be maintained on Cumberland Avenue for the majority of the construction process, commuters can expect several temporary closures of Cumberland Avenue over the course of the project, including a six-week closure that will require a detour by way of Volunteer Boulevard and Neyland Drive.

Wallace also addressed questions pertaining to the potential environmental impacts of the project. There are two, 18-feet deep storm water filter devices positioned on a hill above Third Creek near Cumberland Avenue.

“It will actually slow the water volume down and increase the cleanliness of that water before it hits release Third Creek,” Wallace said. “We actually should see some improvements to Third Creek before the project is finished.”

A smartphone app detailing the project’s progress will be live on April 15.

VolCard Coming to the Strip:

In a meeting with members of the Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association last Wednesday, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Jeff Maples laid out the university’s plan to extend the VolCard to vendors on the Strip. The approximate start date has been set for June 1 for all vendors who wish to participate, marking the first time the university has extended that payment option beyond campus grounds.

“For most of y’all here, especially the long-time merchants on Cumberland Avenue, this is a long time coming,” Maples said of the financial move. “We had to determine a policy (for the Volcard) for what can be used, what it can be used for, so we’ve been putting all that together.”

Vendors wanting to accept the VolCard at their establishments must pay a $250 activation fee for payment equipment compatible with the VolCard, as well as a transaction fee of 22 cents for non-food purchases made with the card.

Dining Dollars will not be extended to merchants on the Strip given that they are part of Aramark’s financial plan. Despite several merchants’ complaints that their inability to accept Dining Dollars puts them at a competitive disadvantage, Maples maintained that the university’s contractual obligations to Aramark were not unusual.

“We’re not off on some island by ourselves,” Maples said. “Most every university has an agreement with a provider for dining services. Ours happens to be Aramark.”

Currently Papa John’s is the only non-university affiliated location accepting Dining Dollars as a form of payment, due to a 2001 student appeal for a pizza program.

Alcohol, tobacco products and lottery tickets also cannot be purchased through the VolCard, with university officials conducting secret shopping measures to ensure vendors are complying with the rule.