Shelbie Harris

Staff Writer

Construction on the sidewalk along Eighth Avenue from the Pond Student Union Building to the corner of Eighth and Martin Luther King Jr. Way has made the traverse from lower campus to upper campus and vice versa more challenging for all involved.

The sidewalk as well as most of the parking lot located behind Graveley Hall and the Administration Building has been inaccessible since the start of fall semester.

While this construction can cause headaches for students and faculty alike, the reason behind the construction is definitely important.

“A utility tunnel containing high voltage and high pressure steam that feeds the campus facilities [resides underneath this sidewalk],” said Ben Claunch, a contractor for D L Beck Inc.

“The lid was kind of deteriorating so [ISU] wanted to put a new lid on. We’ve come through and cut the top of the lid off and we’re putting a thicker lid on so that it’s safely contained in case the steam pipes ruptured it won’t blow the top of the concrete off,” he added.

The term “lid” refers to the concrete layer residing above the tunnel space containing the voltage and steam pipes.

In addition to the mechanical concerns, there are also cosmetic reasons for the recent construction of that sidewalk.

A handrail positioned on the inside of the sidewalk which was not aesthetically pleasing will be removed.

Accompanied with the removal of the handrail, multiple floral or planter sections will be added to improve the overall appearance of the area.

“In an effort to make the campus look a little better, we’re putting in a planter box that will feature some trees and some shrubberies and will give them the required space to not have the hand rail anymore,” said Claunch.

Recent construction at Reed Gym, involving a berm situated directly in front of the building, that resulted in the loss of a row of parking left many students wondering if more parking would be impacted.

“Parking will still be the same. There used to be a curb [directly behind Graveley Hall] and we just pulled all that out so we could move the parking back because we are taking five feet off the other end for the planter box,” Claunch said.

The construction has impacted many students in their travels between classes but the construction crews are on schedule and can relate to students in regard to frustration.

“We would have liked to be in here two or three weeks earlier, that way we would have been done before school started, but working through the contract process with the school, with as fast as they could do it, is when we got here. Our due date is Friday, [Sept. 19,] so we’ll be done and out of here by then,” Claunch added.

No response was received despite multiple attempts to contact Facilities Services.

Some students are frustrated with the lack of communication from the ISU side of things.

“I believe most of the construction, both regarding the berm at Reed Gym as well as the closing of the sidewalk on Eighth are unnecessary,” said Troy Lujan a senior mass communication student.

ISU has made it a mission to improve the visual appearance of the university, including this project as well as the project at Reed Gym, along with the improvement of lighting across campus.