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Summer construction slams East Lansing

May 11, 2014
<p>Charlotte, Mich., resident Mike Cousino welds chilled water lines May 9, 2014, while doing construction near Landon Hall. Summer construction began May 5, 2014, and many of the projects are set to be completed by the beginning of the 2014 school year. Corey Damocles/The State News</p>

Charlotte, Mich., resident Mike Cousino welds chilled water lines May 9, 2014, while doing construction near Landon Hall. Summer construction began May 5, 2014, and many of the projects are set to be completed by the beginning of the 2014 school year. Corey Damocles/The State News

Photo by Corey Damocles | The State News

With beds of orange barrels sprouting in the streets and the sounds of bulldozers in the air, construction season has officially begun on MSU’s campus.

MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, or IPF, representative Will Whelton said two of the biggest campus projects this summer are the Spartan Stadium and West Circle Neighborhood renovations.

According to the IPF website, the two-level, 55,000-square-foot addition to the north side of Spartan Stadium will be completed in August.

Due to the construction, the river trail is closed on the Red Cedar River’s south side between the Sparty statue and Wells Hall. The construction was originally scheduled during Fall 2013 but was delayed.

“The Spartan Stadium work will be most visible (of all the construction projects) come fall,” Whelton said.

There will be 16 significant construction projects on campus this summer, according to an IPF release.

A number of these projects takes place in the West Circle area. These include dining renovations to Landon Hall, steam tunnel replacements, water main improvements and piping system changes.

Portions of West Circle Drive and Auditorium Road also will be closed through summer. Auditorium Road will be closed to northbound traffic on West Circle Drive from mid-July to Aug. 16.

Whelton said IPF purposely schedules major construction projects in the summer, when there are less students on campus.

“They try their best,” MSU psychology senior Deon Campbell said of IPF. “I feel like they can shrink the construction zones, but then again I don’t know how they would or if they’re able to.”

Campbell said he usually bikes or walks because there are too many detours to drive on or near campus in the summer.

MSU dietetics senior Kayleigh Delaney said the summer construction hasn’t affected any of her commutes thus far.

Delaney is a residential adviser at Bailey Hall. While she has a car on campus, she does not use it frequently. By walking instead of driving, the construction does not affect her very much.

“I didn’t know there was construction on West Circle until I walked to the Union (Saturday),” Delaney said.

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