East Campus construction work delayed

Construction crews that have been working on the East Campus Utility Project since late May have encountered a setback due to numerous unforeseen conflicts with underground utility pipes that have been in that area for a very long time.

“They were not expected to be there,” says Rob Kennedy of Facilities Planning and Management, referring to the older pipes. “Some of the university’s pipes are so old that we don’t have accurate plans or mapping to indicate where they are.”

Kennedy also notes that the construction crews are digging near an 1892 water main that bursts easily if it is uncovered.

Consequently, the work will not be completed by the target date of Tuesday, Aug. 24. Contractors will be working at full speed in order to finish the project in time to open the affected streets and sidewalks by Tuesday, Sept. 7, the day after Labor Day.

Meanwhile the current traffic patterns on Langdon and North Park streets will remain the same as they have been all summer — Langdon Street one-way westbound between Lake and Park streets and Park one-way southbound from Langdon to University Avenue. Campus buses will continue on their detoured routes.

Kennedy says there is a possibility that Observatory Drive from Park Street to Lot 11 and Park Street between West Johnson Street and University Avenue may be opened to traffic by the weekend of Aug. 27-28. All of the dates are subject to change.

Transportation Services maintains a website detailing current campus-area street closures and detours.