An implosion of the west side of Reser Stadium will take place on Friday and pave the way for additional renovations but is not expected to interfere with typical daily activities.

This implosion, which is part of an ongoing renovation at Reser Stadium, will occur between 7:40 a.m. and 8 a.m., according to a press release sent out by Oregon State University News and Research Communications.

Buildings within 500 feet of the structure will be vacated to maintain safety precautions, and occupants of buildings within 1000 feet of the structure are advised to stay away from windows and doors facing the implosion at the time of detonation.

According to Steve Clark, the vice president of University Relations and Marketing, OSU does not expect the implosion to interfere with any regularly scheduled activities. These include classes, meetings and transportation. 

Beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, the parking lots surrounding Reser Stadium will be closed and must be vacated. The parking lot will reopen between noon and 1 p.m. on Friday. 

“Anyone parking in Reser or planning to park should move their cars as of Thursday night at 6 p.m.,” Clark said. 

To accommodate missing spaces, Clark said students with C parking permits are allowed to park in any B1, B2, B3 or C lots on Friday.

From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Friday, SW 26th Street, SW 30th Street and SW Western Boulevard will also be closed to vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Sustainable forms of transportation, such as the Beaver Bus, will be affected as well. 

Five different Beaver Bus routes run through the parking lot at Reser Stadium near where the implosion will be occurring. These buses normally operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and detours related to the implosion at Reser Stadium will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday. 

According to the live Beaver Bus tracker, which displays up-to-date service information regarding bus routes, the East and West routes will bypass Reser Stadium during the implosion and all buses on streets adjacent to Reser Stadium may be temporarily delayed due to traffic control.

Between remaining parking spaces and sustainable transportation methods such as the Beaver Bus, biking and ride-sharing, OSU does not expect any issues regarding transportation while renovation on Reser Stadium continues, according to Clark.

OSU will live stream the implosion for free for OSU community members who want to watch the implosion. According to Clark, four limited public viewing areas will also be available for spectators. These viewing areas include:

• In front of the Hilton Garden Inn on SW Western Boulevard
• The north parking lot of Magruder Hall, which is south of the intersection of Washington Way and 30th Street
• The parking lot located across from Washington Way and north of Prothro Field, between 26th and 30th streets 
• The sidewalks south of the intersection of 35th Street and Washington Way 

Completing Reser Stadium, a website launched by OSU about the stadium’s renovation, features progress updates and more information regarding the stadium’s new west side.