UPDATE: UNC Transportation & Parking said on Tuesday that the Dogwood Parking Deck will re-open to hospital patients, visitors and employees at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, November 16. The deck was closed for five days to complete electrical system repairs stemming from a vehicle fire. Read the full release on the parking department’s website.
Below is the initial story shared on Thursday, November 10, when the fire, power outage and shutdown initially occurred.
A parking deck predominantly used for the UNC Hospitals main campus in Chapel Hill is without power, as a vehicle fire on Thursday caused electrical damage at the site.
Access to the Dogwood Parking Deck, which is located off East Drive and near Manning Drive, is limited as of Thursday afternoon, according to a UNC spokesperson. Earlier in the morning, the Chapel Hill Fire Department responded to the deck to put out an SUV parked on the first floor that was on fire. The blaze was put out by 10 a.m., according to the university, but the electrical system for the parking deck was damaged in the incident and caused the outage for the entire deck.
The Dogwood Deck off of Manning Drive in Chapel Hill. (Photo via UNC Transportation & Parking.)
UNC said as of 2 p.m. on Thursday, repair crews are on site to work on returning power to the Dogwood Parking Deck, but there is no immediate estimated time of restoration. To limit motorists from entering the deck, East Drive is closed between Manning Drive and Mason Farm Road. Additionally, gates off Mason Farm Road are blocked off from visitors.
Patients and visitors who were parked in the deck prior to the outage are able to allowed to access their vehicles and leave, according to UNC.
The Dogwood deck is listed as the primary parking area for UNC Hospitals visitors and patients. While it is out of service, the UNC Transportation & Parking Department recommended hospital patients and visitors be redirected to the Cardinal Parking Deck, the Jackson Parking Deck and the Ambulatory Care Lot. The Ambulatory Care Lot, which is off on Mason Farm Road, has a free shuttle service offered by UNC Health to take people between the parking decks and hospital buildings.
UNC said employees with Cardinal Deck permits should continue to park in their assigned deck despite the influx in traffic. Those with passes to the Dogwood Parking Deck are encouraged to instead park in the Craige Deck off Manning Drive or the Bell Tower Deck just north of the hospital campus. The Transportation & Parking Department said if repairs to the Dogwood Parking Deck’s electrical system continues on Friday, UNC Health employees with Jackson Deck permits will be asked to park in the Craige Deck.
A full release from the university with the parking updates can be found here.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
