Construction News for
the Week of June 30, 2013

Special Notice: the UMass Amherst campus is officially smoke-free as of Monday, July 1, including all construction and renovation project sites (a Dean of Students policy statement is available here).

Major projects are listed in alphabetical order. Scroll down to view them all,
or you can jump to a specific project:

Academic Classroom Building
Central Campus Infrastructure
Commonwealth Honors College Residential Complex
Hampshire DC Renovation
Life Science Laboratories
McGuirk Alumni Stadium Upgrade
Summer Steam Line Work

Central Campus Infrastructure

Temporary Vehicle Route to the Student Union June 18 - July 31

As of Tuesday, June 18, through the end of July, a temporary delivery vehicle route is in place extending from a point west of South College to the Student Union Ellipse (see map, top left).  The normal delivery route via Hicks Way adjacent to the south side of the Campus Garage is closed to through traffic for utility work.  Accessible parking in Thompson Lot 64 is temporarily relocated.

Phase 2 Under Way

A second phase of the Central Campus Infrastructure Project has begun at and around Dickinson Hall (see map, center left). The accessible entry/exit at the southeast corner of Dickinson will be maintained for the duration of the project.  Some noise is expected to be associated with the work.  Fence lines are expected to be in place through March.

The first phase involving a construction zone east and north of the Du Bois Library is on-going (see map, bottom left).  Critical pedestrian paths will be maintained along the southeast corner of Machmer Hall and south of the Student Union.

Questions and comments about this project should be directed to the UMass Facilities project manager, Jason Venditti, at 413-326-1661 or venditti@facil.umass.edu.

More information about the Central Campus Infrastructure project can be found on the project information page.

[Top of the page]

Commonwealth Honors College Residential Complex
Commonwealth Ave

Hicks Way Closure - Map 1

Hicks Way Closure - Map 2 

SW Corridor Work 

Lower Hicks Way Closed July 8 - 31

Lower Hicks Way will be CLOSED from Monday, July 8, through Wednesday, July 31, for curb work and final paving.  In addition, the Upper/Lower Hicks Way intersection will be closed from Monday, July 15, through Thursday, July 25

See maps, left.  The sequencing of closures is as follows:

• From July 8 through July 14, access to the full length of Upper Hicks Way will be maintained via Lot 71 off of Massachusetts Avenue (as shown in Map 1).
• From July 15 through July 25, when construction is scheduled to close the Upper/Lower Hicks Way intersection, access to Upper Hicks Way (north) will be maintained via the Grinnell Access Road off of Commonwealth Avenue and access to Upper Hicks Way (south) will be maintained via Lot 71 off of Massachusetts Avenue (as shown in Map 2).
• From July 27 through 31, access to the full length of Upper Hicks Way will once again be maintained via Lot 71 off of Massachusetts Avenue (as shown in Map 1).

Note that while the Upper/Lower Hicks Way intersection is closed, from July 15 through July 25 (Map 2), a vehicle route to/from accessible parking spaces serving Du Bois, South College and Goodell will be maintained via the Grinnell Access Road off of Commonwealth Avenue.

Pedestrian pathways/detours will be maintained around work zones, but may be altered to accommodate construction activity.  Caution is advised.

The work schedule is heavily weather-dependent and is subject to change on short notice.

Southwest Connector Work Underway

Improvements are being made to a dedicated walkway between the CHC and the Southwest Residential Area.  During construction, pedestrian access to Lot 42 to and from points east and north will be restricted to a marked temporary walkway (see map, lower right).

Utility Work and Detours

Lower Hicks Way may be occasionally restricted to one lane for alternating east/west traffic during working hours.

Tobin Road will remain closed until summer.  Deliveries to Tobin should be made via the Lot 71 route, and an alternative delivery/access route to Boyden will be located on the south side of the building.

Speed Limit Reduced on Commonwealth Ave.

Due to heavy construction activity and traffic associated with the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Project, the speed limit on Commonwealth Avenue between Massachusetts Avenue and Campus Center Way has been reduced to 20MPH.  This speed limit is being strictly enforced by the UMass Police.  As a designated "work zone," fines for speeding in the area will be doubled.

The reduced speed limit will be in effect until further notice.

Questions concerning campus traffic law enforcement should be directed to the UMass Police Department at 545-2121.

Questions about this project should be directed to the Facilities Planning project manager, Andy Soles, at 5-6464 or asoles@admin.umass.edu.

A YouTube video about the project, produced by the UMass Amherst Office of News & Media Relations, can be found here.

[Top of the page]

Hampshire DC Renovation
Southwest Residential Area

Renovation work is underway.  Fence lines have been established on the west and south sides of the building, including the loading dock/parking section (see diagram, left).  Access for waste disposal (from Coolidge) will be maintained.

Construction activity, along with attendant noise, will mostly be contained in the interior of the building.  Nevertheless, some construction noise may be evident, especially during periods of heavy demolition and rooftop (mechanical system) work.  Truck traffic to and from the site on the Southwest ellipse may also be heavy during demolition periods.

[Top of the page]

McGuirk Alumni Stadium Upgrades

Temporary fencing has been put in place around and throughout the stadium.  Hazardous waste abatement of the existing press box has begun.  Water and sanitary lines are being installed, which may involve closing through traffic on Stadium Drive for short periods of time.

For background information about this project, see the project information page. 

A live project web cam is available here.

Questions about the project should be directed to the FP project manager, Joe Balzano, at 545-2179; jbalzano@facil.umass.edu.

[Top of the page]

Summer Steam Line Work

In addition to the routine, seasonal steam line shutdowns and maintenance that occur each summer on campus, other critical repairs are being made that will add to the steam shutdown schedules for several buildings.  For most of the affected buildings, this involves low pressure steam (heat, hot water, and, in some cases, central air conditioning).

Steam heat is typically turned off to most buildings on campus for the summer in order to conserve energy, save money and reduce wear on the system.  In this respect, a planned interruption of low pressure steam (heat) should hardly be noticed.  However, the loss of low pressure steam also means the loss of hot water in restrooms, showers, kitchens, and janitorial facilities.

The University has consulted with state, local, and institutional authorities and has determined that the temporary shutdowns will not adversely affect health or safety.  Employees may use cold water and soap to wash hands, and the University will provide hand-sanitizer in areas where the hot-water interruption is expected to last more than a few days.

Following is the current schedule for steam shutdowns (also see the corresponding color-coded map):

Schedules are subject to change, but every effort will be made to remain on -or ahead -of schedule.  Building occupants will be informed in the event of a change in the interruption schedule or a delay in the restoration of service. 

Questions about this project should be directed to the UMass project manager, Jason Venditti, at venditti@facil.umass.edu or 413-326-1661.

These are critical infrastructure repairs and upgrades that require timely, comprehensive attention.  They support the expansion and construction of new buildings and facilities as part of the University's capital construction plan, and they ensure the continued reliable delivery of utility services to all sections of campus.  The patience and understanding of everyone concerned is very much appreciated.

[Top of the page]