Barreled over

Correction: The story has been corrected to say Construction Junction meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month.

From the images of Spartans lining the halls of the Duffy Daugherty Football Building to the railings on the walkways of the new Farm Lane, construction projects across MSU are working toward a changed campus within the next year. While 34 buildings deemed too expensive to repair are being demolished at Spartan Village, Wharton Center is receiving its first repairs in 25 years.

“It’s not even that anything in (Wharton Center) needs to be changed,” said university engineer Bob Nestle. “With the bigger shows that are coming through now, they just need more space.”

Wharton Center’s renovations should be completed by October 2009, with a budget estimated at $18.5 million for a new glass front to the building as well as a new loading dock for storage and dressing room space.

Spartan Village’s project will include demolition and the installation of a new water main for the complex, with plans to finish the demolition by November 2008 and the water work by June 2009. The estimated budget for the project is $3 million.

Other projects around campus this summer include work on a new MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center and changes to steam distribution routes in several residence halls.

With more than 15 projects underway throughout the MSU campus, some are annoyed by the inconvenience, others see signs of necessary change.

“If it’s unavoidable, it’s unavoidable,” said A.J. Walilko, a Japanese senior. “It is important, though, to try and take up as little of the school year as possible.”

With fewer people on campus during the summer, family community services senior Jyllian Shepard said it makes sense to work more during these semesters.

“It’s better that they get it done now than in the fall, and as for detours and roadblocks, there’s only so many places to go,” Shepard said.

One project involving extensive work and many detours is the new Farm Lane — a project budgeted with $37 million from MSU, the Michigan Department of Transportation, or MDOT, and Ingham County Road Commission.

Farm Lane is closed from the commuter lot to Trowbridge Road. Detours are plotted through Harrison, Hagadorn, Wilson and Red Cedar roads, as well as several other alternate routes. By its finish date in summer 2009, Farm Lane will include railroad crossings, pedestrian walkways and an overall improvement in traffic safety and flow, said Kari Arend, spokeswoman for Michigan Department of Transportation.

Some students attribute issues with the construction around campus to East Lansing.

“The biggest problem is the city planning is illogical,” said engineering sophomore John Jones. “If the city would just require the road work and water work to be completed at the same time, it would stop reducing efficiencies like they have been.”

With classes at MSU running year-round, Shepard said it’s important for the city and campus to inform people about construction projects ahead of time so they can be prepared.

Premedical freshman Christian Loyd said the university should send out more e-mail updates about the construction projects.

“If someone really wants to get informed about construction going on it’s easy,” said Nestle.

Those interested in any projects can check www.construction.msu.edu or attend the “Construction Junction” meetings held at 8:30 a.m. the second Thursday of every month in room B104 of Wells Hall.

“A lot of people just don’t pay attention until they try to drive to work the regular way and find a barricade there,” Nestle said.

Published on Tuesday, May 13, 2008