As the University of Wisconsin's Central Campus Utility Project construction ensues along Observatory Drive, a section of the road east of Babcock Drive is closed while workers continue to update the university's heating and air conditioning.
Initiated in May, the $22 million-plus project will complete a "utility loop" of ducts and piping from the UW Cogeneration Facility — where university water is heated and cooled — to the new Microbial Sciences building and other facilities on the west end of campus.
The university uses a system of steam and chilled-water pipes to heat and cool campus buildings.
As the campus has sprawled westward, the former utility pipes became undersized for new demands, prompting university officials to initiate the project.
To install the updated system, new chilled-water and steam piping and electric ductwork will be installed from the Cogeneration Facility east along the Observatory Drive corridor to Babcock Drive, then south to Linden Drive, Henry Mall and University Avenue.
"The [Central Campus Utilities] project is a very significant project," John Harrod, director of UW Physical Plant for UW Facilities Planning and Management, said. "And the reason it's being done at this time is to be able to connect utilities to the Microbial Sciences building."
To provide more chilled water and steam to the building, workers will lay two 36-inch concrete water lines and two 20-inch dual steel steam lines.
"In order to accommodate the size of that new building, new utilities had to be put in place," Harrod said.
To accommodate for the construction near Babcock, westbound Observatory Drive will dead-end at the Soils building until it is completed.
Harrod said the section of construction east of Babcock and various others along Observatory Drive are scheduled to be completed this fall.
"For about an eight-week period, that section will be closed while the installation work occurs," Harrod said.
The entire Central Campus Utility Project is expected to be completed next spring.
While the construction circling Observatory and Linden drives may seem overbearing to some vehicles and pedestrians, Associate Vice Chancellor of Staff at Facilities Planning and Management Alan Fish said the project was initiated as a set of concurrent projects to prevent the overall scheme from dragging on.
"We had a choice of doing it in pieces or doing it as fast as we can and [being] done with it," he said, adding to stagger the construction schedule would only prolong resident frustrations. "The project is, overall, completely on schedule."
Until construction on Observatory Drive is complete, workers are busy installing a major pipeline.
"We have one large utility line that's being installed along that corridor," Harrod said. "The area along Babcock was closed to install a portion of the piping from the Observatory and [Babcock drives] intersection … east to the Soils Laboratory and connecting to another steam line in that area."
Harrod added he and construction workers intend to restore drivability to Linden Drive by late October, and areas surrounding Observatory Drive shortly thereafter.
"The contractors are on track with the project and are looking to have a majority of the piping work done by November," he said. "And on Babcock … we'll be looking at paving as much as we can before the winter sets in and with the project's end to be occurring next spring."
