Senior design students from the MSU College of Engineering presented ideas to Lansing-area professional consultants about the future construction of an underpass beneath two railroad tracks near the intersection of Farm Lane and Service Road.
Civil engineering professor Roger Wallace said the underpass will make it easier for cars to enter the university on the south side of campus, which is accessed via Farm Lane.
The students were responsible for coming up with preliminary designs for the underpass — meaning students needed to illustrate to the consultants their ideas for the underpass' structural, hydraulic, environmental and geotechnical foundations, Wallace said.
"One of the major problems is that Farm Lane self-crosses two sets of railroad tracks, and so there are a number of delays in addition to the safety hazards that are there," Wallace said. "So as we've constituted this problem, there are a number of issues, but they are driven in large part by the need to create great separation."
Students gave their presentations in five groups, comprised of four to six members. Each member was responsible for giving a portion of the presentation.
"The intent of putting them in teams is obviously to have them responsible for a portion of the project, but also (to) have (them) do some good work together," Wallace said.
"There are significant differences between the teams in terms of numbers and in terms of what their responsibilities are too."
One of the groups, called Highlander Consulting, said the underpass would be best built without making major changes to Wilson, Trowbridge and Mount Hope roads.
"Our project objectives are to create a design which will improve traffic flow in both directions in the most cost-efficient manner, to create a design which meets all AASHTO and MDOT requirements, while providing a safe path for travelers, and also to create a design which does not conflict with any of the environmental constraints, such as the Baker Woodlot and wetland areas," said Matt Carey, a Highlander Consulting group member.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or AASHTO, and the Michigan Department of Transportation, or MDOT, are groups that deal with road construction.
The construction of the underpass is just one of the plans outlined by MSU's 2020 Vision plan, which serves as a blueprint for changes the university plans on making while retaining its historical and academic atmosphere.
Ron Harichandran, chairperson of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said the project gives students the opportunity to practice their skills in a professional environment.
"It gives (students) a real-life experience, and they're doing something that's of relevance to the university," Harichandran said.
