February 20, 2002

Contact: Andrea Albright, University Relations, (785) 864-8860.

Tunnel repairs to close campus road

LAWRENCE -- Construction that will close traffic on a portion of Sunflower Road this week will be a preview of what's to come this summer.

The Watson tunnel replacement project will begin Feb. 21 as crews start rerouting telecommunication cabling that could otherwise be damaged during the tunnel's upgrade this summer. The work will close Sunflower Road to through traffic from Feb. 25 to March 5.

Extensive excavation also will disrupt pedestrian traffic along the east side of Sunflower Road next to Watson Library. That sidewalk will be closed through May 24.

Doug Riat, director of Facilities Operations, said that when the cable work was complete, construction crews would begin on some of the university's most fragile infrastructure.

About May 20, crews will begin repair and replacement work on underground tunnels north of the FO plant. The tunnels cross Sunflower Road near the plant's entrance. That construction is expected to block all traffic on Sunflower through early August.

Riat said the tunnels are used not only as a conduit for communication lines but also to carry steam to heat many of the buildings on campus.

"It's the oldest segment of tunnel that we have on campus," Riat said. "It's deemed to be in poor condition. We wouldn't want to lose it."

On Tuesday, the provost's office announced that work would periodically interrupt telephone, video and data network services in some buildings on campus. For a complete list of the affected buildings, click here.

During construction, motorists will have continued access to Wescoe Hall through the entrance behind Stauffer-Flint Hall, Riat said. Drivers also will be able to get to Watson Library and Twente Hall off of Sunflower Road.

Although Riat expects two-way traffic to be restored by about Aug. 9, he said construction on the project would continue through October.

Upon completion, however, the benefits should outweigh the inconvenience.

"This is the first step in trying to maintain campus infrastructure," Riat said. "It will enable us to maintain that tunnel for a long time."

Additional information about the project will be available throughout the project at www.nts.ku.edu.