UNIVERSITY PARK – Summertime means construction time on Penn State’s University Park campus, as the Office of Physical Plant takes advantage of the decrease in the campus population to complete everything from road projects, building renovations, capital renewal projects to masonry repair, roof replacements and campus beautification projects.
The biggest, most noticeable project on campus this summer is the the Curtin Road rebuilding project, which will include underground utilities and roadway work.
Work has begun, and traffic detours are set up at work locations on either end of Curtin Road. Aging water lines are being replaced and the roadway is being renewed on the west end of campus near the Palmer Museum of Art. Similar work is being done on the east end of Curtin Road, where sections of the road between University Drive and Bigler Road will be closed off in three phases, to maintain access to parking lots at Shields and Wagner buildings. The parking lot behind the Intramural Building currently is accessible via a temporary gravel road accessed through the East Halls lot near Pennypacker Hall and the tennis courts.
Construction on Curtin Road near East Halls will be suspended for the Special Olympics, which run from June 5-7. At the close of that event, work will resume on the roadway. Work on both ends of Curtin Road is projected to be completed in time for the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, July 9-13, although related improvements to sidewalks, adjacent parking areas and lighting upgrades will continue through August.
The other major road construction project will have Bigler Road closed between Eisenhower Boulevard and Pollock Road from July 14 to Aug. 17. Work there will be done to complete utility work for the new Millennium Science Complex, which could break ground in July pending final approval from the Board of Trustees.
Work being done May 27 through Aug. 1 to replace a steam line will eventually close one pedestrian access point to the Nittany Parking Deck. Small-scale road repairs will have traffic reduced to one lane at various times throughout the summer on Shortlidge, Bigler, Burrowes and Hastings roads.
The Nittany Lion Inn will be renovating its registration lobby from now through early September. Details on that project can be found at http://live.psu.edu/story/30988 online.
While the other projects will be visible and may cause minor inconveniences, most will not cause major disruption to most people’s normal routines on campus.
Renovation work is continuing on Chandlee Laboratory, Computer Building, James M. Elliott Building and North Frear, as well as to several residence halls, commons and other areas on campus. Roof replacement work will be done on several buildings, as will masonry repair work. Campus beautification projects — several of which were initiated by landscape contracting classes — will enhance the look of several areas on the University Park campus.
For up-to-date construction project information, refer to the Construction Project Map online. For photos of some of the work, visit here.