Latest Updates
Campus Entry: The campus corridor pavers are laid and sealed. The area is now open for pedestrian and service vehicle use. Enjoy. Please pardon the ugly temporary light pole; the new ones are expected by mid-September and should be installed shortly thereafter.
Path to Housing: The path between Egan Courtyard and the Back Loop Road is closed for paving. It is scheduled to re-open Wednesday at 530p, but further delays are possible.
Forest Service Lab:Construction will continue on the new U.S. Forest Service Research Laboratory north of Egan Library through the fall semester.
Feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns.
Ke Mell
Project Manager
Facilities Planning and Construction
796-6480
321-2338
Common Questions
Will we still have access to the parking lot in front of Hendrickson? Or will that be blocked off for construction?
Yes and no. The Chapel parking lot has two driveways. The north driveway, across from Hendrickson, will be closed for the duration of the construction. The south driveway should generally be open. If construction activities require closing the south driveway or the entire parking lot, I will send an update to everyone on campus. However, please be advised that with only one driveway--as last fall--there won't be much room to maneuver in the lot, and, if the parking lot is full, you will need to drive out and around through Auke Bay, come in the north entry, and park in the main lot. There may be times when it would be more efficient to park in the main lot. I you are not receiving my construction updates please email me to be included.
Was the cutting of the trees in front of the Novatney building a part of this project. (So sad....)? And will there be others planted to replace them? It looks awful right now.
Trees in front of Soboleff were cut for this project, as they would not survive construction. This project is phase 1 of a multi-year project to remake the heart of campus by closing Auke Lake Way to general vehicular traffic. Phase 2, which will start in May, requires that the trees in front of Novatney be cut. When the heavy equipment work is done, there will be extensive plantings to replace the trees that were cut. We are looking forward to that as much as you are. Construction is always an untidy business, and things inevitably look progressively worse in the early stages of a project.
Since the roadway from Glacier Hwy by Chapel by the Lake is going to be closed off and we are going to be required to use the Back Loop entrance, what kind of safety issues with that will be addressed? I use the Back Loop entrance rarely because it feels so unsafe to me.
Good question. The north entrance off the Mendenhall Loop Road presents a complicated set of safety issues. We have been working on them for a couple of years now.
Last summer we built a right turn lane from Auke Lake Way to the Mendenhall Loop Road because closing the south entrance will significantly increase traffic at the north entrance. At the same time we took the first step to re-direct pedestrian traffic toward the intersection rather than allowing students to cross Mendenhall Loop Road a couple of hundred feet from the intersection, where drivers are less likely to expect pedestrians in the road.
We have no improvements planned for the north entry this summer because DOT/PF plans their Auke Bay Roundabout work for this summer. That project, DOT/PF #69003, will extend up the hill from Auke Bay and includes our intersection. The project includes sidewalks on both sides of the road, a bike lane, and a bus pullout on the north side of Back Loop Road. New lighting may also be included. There is a public open house for the project on April 12, from 7-9 pm at the UAS Recreation Center, Room 116. More information is available from glacierhyw@uskh.com.
At some point in the future, a bus pullout will be provided on the North side of Back Loop Road and a bus pullout and shelter will be provided on the south side of Back Loop Road, between Auke Lake Way and the path to housing, but the exact scope of future improvements has not be determined.