Despite the unusually high amount of orange barrels across campus, officials say all major road and building construction projects are running on time and on budget.

Approximately $107 million is being spent on those projects.

University Engineer Bob Nestle said the reason for the summer's construction overload is to prepare for a major project, which will begin in spring 2008.

"As a consequence, there were several of these road construction projects that really had to be done before 2008, because with Farm Lane shut down, that is going to disrupt all of campus," Nestle said.

The project will shut down Farm Lane between Mount Hope and Trowbridge roads in order to construct underpasses for the two railroad crossings, located north of Service Road and north of the Commuter Lot, said Kari Arend, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Transportation, or MDOT.

There should be a light load of construction for next summer, especially compared to this year, Nestle said. There are eight different road and utility construction projects, he said, and a typical summer would have about five or six projects.

And there are 15 MSU funded projects - including both road, building and utility construction - that are disruptive to pedestrian and vehicle traffic on campus, according to www.construction.msu.edu.

Hammered out

Each project is individually funded with its own account. Funding comes from a variety of sources, including university donations and leftover utility money, said Dan Bollman, design administrator in engineering and architectural services.

"Typically, we don't let (the projects) go over budget," he said. "But if we do, we usually go back to the same sources of funding from where the project was originally started."

In the past, one of the main reasons projects ran on time and remained on budget is the agreement between MSU and the contractor, Bollman said.

"Our contract requires our contractor to complete on time or to do whatever they need to do to get back on schedule," he said, adding that if a contractor puts in for his monthly payment for the progress to date and the project isn't running on schedule, the contractor will not get paid until the project is back on track.

The weather this summer also has made it easier for the projects to stay on track.

While there is still a lot of construction left, inclement weather is not as much of a concern as it was at the beginning of the summer, Nestle said.

"Rain would still slow down the projects, but they are not anywhere near as vulnerable as they were earlier in the summer," he said.

Although construction is on track and is scheduled to be done by the start of fall semester, it still has been an issue for students taking summer classes.

Meredith Eddy, an interdisciplinary studies in social science and health studies junior, took classes the first summer session and said there was limited access to campus.

"You learn fast where you can and can't go, but there's like two entrances to campus," she said. "The construction just sort of formed a moat around campus."

About $83 million of the $107 million being spent on the primary road and building projects are three major building renovations - Snyder-Phillips Hall, Chemistry Building and Duffy Daugherty Football Building.

The $47.9 million renovation of Snyder-Phillips Hall includes removing Dormitory Road between Physics Road and Bogue Street, and the demolition and reconstruction of the center part of the hall for a new dining facility, according to the construction Web site and www.hfs.msu.edu.

The renovation of the Chemistry Building, which is planned to cost $20.8 million, includes the construction of an office addition located toward the center of the building, along with various utility work, according to the construction Web site.

The Duffy Daugherty Football Building's $14.6 million renovation was funded by private donations and includes renovations to the roads surrounding it, according to the construction Web site.

These projects also are running on schedule, Nestle said. Snyder-Phillips Hall will be ready in August for students and new construction on the Duffy Daugherty Football Building likely will begin in November or December.

Down the road

Preliminary work on the Farm Lane reconstruction will begin this fall and will continue throughout next year's construction season. It will be a federally funded project, overseen by MDOT, Arend said.

The university will pay 25 percent of the funding, because the project requires local participation, she said.

"Simply because of the large-scale nature of the project, MSU decided to partner with us," Arend said.

The estimated total of the project is about $20 million, which would mean MSU would have to pay $5 million, Bollman said.

At times, the intersection at Farm Lane and Service Road may be closed down as well, and there may be limited capacity and access to the Commuter Lot.

Those are details that need to be worked out, Arend said, adding that MDOT also is working with CATA to rearrange the bus routes that will be affected.

"We are looking to have a large kick off informational meeting this fall, so we will get more details out about the project, because it is a large project with a big impact to campus," she said.

Along with the Farm Lane construction, other construction projects are planned as well, Bollman said.

"It will be coordinated so you can get around campus - actually, much easier than you can this summer," he said.

In the nick of time

While there is still a lot of work to be done, Bollman said major road construction projects will be done by August 17 - before the start of fall semester.

"We've had a really good summer for construction with the weather and everything," he said. "Everything is right on track."