Motorists looking to get to the top of Mount Oread this summer should expect another detour.

City commissioners on Tuesday agreed to allow developers of a hotel project adjacent to Kansas University to close Indiana Street from 11th to 12th streets for at least the entire summer.

Developers with The Oread Inn – a seven-story hotel project near 12th and Indiana streets – could close Indiana Street as early as next week, said Paul Werner, an architect for the development group.

Werner and other architects for the project said the street needed to be closed for safety reasons. Part of the construction project involves digging a 50-foot hole for an underground parking garage. The hole and a large crane will be about 10 feet away from the street and sidewalk area.

“We just don’t want to risk an accident happening and something really bad coming of it,” said Tim Homburg, another architect on the project.

Commissioners heard from two residents who live in the 1100 block of Indiana. Both said they were concerned they would have to park far from their homes as a result of the street closure. Werner told commissioners that developers were working on ways to allow residents of the block to have access to the street. Commissioners urged them to do so.

The closure will go through at least Aug. 15, but Werner said it was possible the street closure would stretch into the fall semester.

The Kansas University bus system is making a route change for the entire fall semester in anticipation of the street closure, Werner said. He said KU buses will use Louisiana Street for northbound routes and Mississippi Street for southbound routes.

Detour signs also will be posted for general motorists. Louisiana is expected to handle most of the northbound car traffic, while Ohio Street is expected to handle the southbound car traffic.

The Indiana Street project is in addition to work that will be under way near the south edge of campus. A city project will close the intersection of 19th and Louisiana streets beginning Tuesday. The stretch of road will be closed into August.

Developers of The Oread Inn – which includes a group of investors led by executives of Lawrence-based Gene Fritzel Construction Co. – also are asking the city to vacate three feet of right of way on Indiana Street to accommodate a new foundation system for the hotel.

All four commissioners – Commissioner Sue Hack was absent – agreed to schedule a public hearing for next month on the vacation request, but told city staff members that they would want to sell the right of way to the developers rather than give it away.

Losing the right of way would not change the width of the street. It would, however, eliminate some grassy areas along the street.