As students return this fall, they will find many changes on campus grounds. Over the summertime, various roadways had been reconstructed, and some of the buildings have been upgraded.
Most prominently, a new main entry way has been remodeled. The entrance leads directly into the administrative circle, as opposed to previous curving roads that reached the Administration building and the Staller Center for the Arts. ‘The administrative circle opened ahead of schedule,’ said Barbara Chernow, Assistant Vice President for Facilities and Services.
The remainder of the project includes landscaping, and the addition of a fountain. Cherry blossom trees will border along the circle, to replace most of the trees that were cut down in the process of reconstruction. The traffic light signals need minor timing adjustments for traffic calming effects.
A more controversial roadway project is the installation of a ’roundabout’ at the intersection of Circle Road and Marburger Drive. The construction began June 15th, and will be completed right before school opens. Originally planned to be a traditional T-section, the Campus Environmental Committee suggested the roundabout alternative for safety reasons. ‘The Campus Environmental Committee wanted a roundabout, it’s what they believe to have a traffic calming effect,’ said Louis Rispoli, Director of Facilities Design and Construction.
The Department of Transportation reports that ’roundabouts’ are safer by eliminating left turns, which contribute to angle accidents at intersections. There is also a 76% reduction in injury crashes and 30-40% reduction in pedestrian crashes. There are 75% less conflict points at intersections. Some students are apprehensive of how the roundabout works, despite the signs to guide and caution drivers. Other students would disagree. ‘Its not confusing, and its safer,’ said sophomore Christian Videbaek. ‘Its pretty convenient because it maximizes space and allows more people in a smaller area,’ said sophomore Ujas Shah.
The roundabout was constructed in an environmentally efficient way through the process of reclaiming. ‘The machine walks the road on all the existing asphalt and oil binds to compact it. Then that becomes the base for the new asphalt paving,’ said Rispoli. Other specific roadways have generally been improved. These areas include nearly half of circle road extending from Kelly Quad to the North Entrance, Stadium Road around Mendelsohn and H quad, and South Drive from the South P-lot till the School of Dental Medicine.
All the road work including the new entrance way and roundabout totaled to a 6.6 million dollar project. Interior building work had been completed over the summer; Javits Lecture Center had three rooms with ceiling and lighting renovations. Harriman Lecture Hall had similar work done as well. The fourth floor of the main library now has 2 new classrooms, and a new Athletic Development Center has been established in the Pritchard Gym.
Other smaller additions include locker rooms for visitors at the Stadium. The Bookstore has been completely renovated, and the SAC dishwasher room has a new entrance. Future projects are underway and being planned. Roth Food Cafeteria will be renovated by the end of the fall semester. A new 172 bed facility in West Apartments is anticipated by the end of the academic school year. A couple of years down the road, the Roosevelt Quad cafeteria, which has been shut down for years, will be changed into a 450-475 bed facility.
Off campus, the Center for Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology will begin its construction in the middle of September. The center will provide grounds for research and development on the 246 acres of what was previously the Flowerfields preserve. This project will take a couple of years to complete, and the cost will total to about 36 million.
