Students will have to navigate around barricades and signs on Farm Lane for at least eight more days, after officials pushed back the completion date of the Farm Lane underpass project, which previously was scheduled for today.
The project, which started in 2007 and originally was scheduled for completion in August, will lower Farm Lane under railroad crossings in the area between Trowbridge and Service roads.
The Michigan Department of Transportation, or MDOT, notified MSU of the delay Monday morning, citing paving completion and other issues, University Engineer Robert Nestle said.
“We had hoped to have the road up by the start of the school year this fall, but we didn’t make it,” he said. “There’s still the top coat of paving to be done, but why that has been delayed, we really don’t know.”
Late delivery of four steel beams needed for the bridges delayed the project, MDOT spokeswoman Kari Arend said.
“We still have some additional work to do, including final paving out there,” she said. “The project was delayed because of late field delivery of the beams earlier in the project.”
Jon Bovee, an MSU alumna currently enrolled in undergraduate classes, said he is not surprised by the delays, but still looks forward to the project’s completion.
“I’m not really surprised … there’s construction up here every summer,” he said. “It’s kind of irritating, I wish that they could make a deadline and hit it.”
The project primarily was done for safety reasons, said Andy Linebaugh, Farm Lane project representative for MSU.
“It’s a safety project to get the separation of vehicles and pedestrians from the railroad tracks … and cyclists,” he said.
The delay of the opening will not result in additional costs to the project’s $42.5 million price tag, Nestle said.
The new Sept. 30 opening date is tentative, Linebaugh said.
“They had a contract that said they were going to be done in August,” he said. “The actual completion date was moved to (Sept. 22), so after (Tuesday), the 30th is the contractor’s best guess as to when he will be done.”
Arend said officials hope to open the road before MSU’s home football game against the University of Michigan on Oct. 3, although Linebaugh said there will be some temporary lane closures.
“We’re looking at getting the roads reopened by the 30th … to ensure the road is opened for game day,” Arend said.
The grand opening, including a ceremony and ribbon cutting, is scheduled for Oct. 16, Linebaugh said.
MDOT and university officials will continue to push for completion on the project.
“We’re going into the fall months now trying to get this project reopened,” Arend said.
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