There are inconvenient consequences with any construction project, and with most recent projects on campus, these consequences have been annoying but tolerable. However, it appears that the planned construction for the CULC and the North Ave. Apartments Dining Hall could become more than simply annoyances in the coming year.
The CULC construction is intrusive, but it at least appears to be the result of detailed planning. Since the detour will lead students past an area that has been the site of on-campus crime in the past, the administration has ensured that extra measures will be taken to protect the large number of students who will use this route in the coming year.
Still, the fact remains that the construction will be even more intrusive as it expands. What was once a five-to-eight minute walk across campus could become at least a 10-to-15 minute walk, making life difficult for students with back-to-back classes on opposite ends of the construction site. It will be important for the administration to effectively communicate all pertinent information regarding construction at this site, as it will directly affect the daily activities of most of the campus.
More concerning, though, are the potential effects of the North Ave. construction. The decision to close the stairs at the corner of North Ave. for an extended period of time indicates a project that has lacked foresight.
The decision will have numerous negative consequences and will make life even more difficult for the North building residents who already must deal with yearlong construction on their building without any sort of compensation or contingency options. Forcing all North Avenue residents to enter and leave via the turnaround on Techwood Drive will present accessibility problems and safety issues that must be addressed.