The University of Maryland has continued to make progress on campus construction, including the Purple Line and various buildings.
Here are the construction developments students can expect to see as they begin the semester.
Purple Line
This university’s students could expect to zip down Campus Drive on the Purple Line as soon as winter of 2027.
According to the Maryland Transit Administration, the Purple Line is more than 82 percent complete and all 21 stations are under construction. More than 65 percent of the track has been installed.
The Purple Line tracks on Campus Drive, Rossborough Lane, Presidential Drive and the intersection between Rossborough Lane and Route 1 have been completed, the Purple Line told The Diamondback in a statement.
The platforms, windscreens and canopies of the Baltimore Avenue – UMD station, mechanical enclosures at the Campus Drive – UMD Station and digital train signage support systems at the College Park Metro Station have also been installed, according to the Purple Line statement.
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This university released a statement last week noting that while minor Purple Line construction continues in the center of campus, more major construction is occurring to the east and west of the campus center.
Rossborough Lane will remain closed west of Route 1 and between Route 1 and Diamondback Drive, according to this university.
New signals at the intersection of Campus Drive and Regents Drive were also implemented early this summer in preparation for the Purple Line.
“The new traffic signal will enhance safety while providing better coordination for pedestrians, motorists and the future Purple Line light rail vehicles,” the Purple Line statement read.
The Diamondback previously reported that traffic lights are also planned for the intersection of Union and Alumni Drive and the intersection of Campus Drive and Rossborough Lane.
The Purple Line College Park Community Advisory Team meeting is scheduled for Sept. 30 at 6 p.m., where interested community members can learn about current and future construction progress.
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Stanley R. Zupnik Hall
Stanley R. Zupnik Hall will house the civil and environmental engineering department with 31 new laboratories, according to the engineering department’s website. The building will be at the corner of Paint Branch and Stadium Drive.
Construction on the hall’s exterior structure is mostly complete, with the interior now being developed. It is expected to be completed in July 2026, according to this university.
Leonardtown Graduate Student Housing
The graduate student housing development underway in Leonardtown, named the Discovery House, is expected to open during the 2026 fall semester, the university told The Diamondback. The development will hold about 750 students and has accommodations ranging from studios to five-bedroom apartments, according to this university.
Associate provost and graduate school dean Stephen Roth told The Diamondback the upcoming housing will be below market rate. This will hopefully help graduate students afford housing and bring them to this university, Roth said.
Graduate Way, a road near the new development interlinking Yale and Princeton Avenues, has also been paved, this university stated.
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McKeldin Mall
McKeldin Mall is brighter this semester after the installation of eight 45-foot LED fixtures this summer, the university said in a statement to The Diamondback. While the lighting installation is complete, the old lighting bases are expected to be demolished by the end of next week.
