[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Construction and utility work along Observatory Drive will alter typical move-in traffic this fall, but shouldn’t pose more than minimal added difficulty, University of Wisconsin officials say.

As part of the Central Campus Utility Project — a campus plan to update the university’s heating and air conditioning — two areas of Observatory Drive are under construction. This involves the installation of new utility piping and wiring which will accommodate existing and planned expansions around campus.

“Some of the roads we typically use [for move-in] have been affected near the lakeshore area, but it certainly won’t prevent the move-in … people will have to use different roads,” Assistant Director of Housing Mike Kinderman said.

Work on the intersection of Babcock and Observatory drives will obstruct little during lakeshore dormitory move-in and is expected to be completed by late August.

However, a second section of Observatory Drive — east of Elm Drive to Easterday Drive, or Willow Creek — will be bypassed via a temporary, gravel road for lakeshore traffic. This work, which began in May, will finish around mid-November.

Linden Drive will also serve as a primary detour for move-in and normal, school-year traffic.

“That will stay as the primary detour until the project’s completed,” Director of Physical Plant John Harrod said. “Our goal is to have Elm Drive open and accessible by move-in.”

Harrod added construction for the Central Campus Utility Project began in May and has been initiated just in time to allow the greatest amount of convenience to students, parents and the university.

“It’s being done just in time to meet campus loads–the need for additions’ heating and air conditioning is there,” he said. “We will be able to install the network for anticipated, future growth.”

Harrod said the project is being executed “most economically” and is progressing according to schedule.

During move-in, scheduled for August 25, 28 and 29 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., traffic on Observatory Drive will be directed one-way: west from Charter Street, connecting with Elm Drive and exiting on Easterday Drive.

The temporary road will allow access to Elm from Observatory Drive.

After move-in, construction will continue on Observatory Drive west of Elm and the impact on lakeshore student-residents “will be minimal,” Kinderman said.

Kinderman added the area, and some lakeshore dorm “green spaces,” will still be occupied by construction, but it will not impede foot-traffic surrounding the dorms.

“We’ll still be working around the traffic,” he said. “After they move in, the contractors will still be working in the area.”

The new utility work brings an overdue upgrade to campus heating and air conditioning networks around the western and southern sectors of campus and will provide lakeshore residents with more reliable service, according to Harrod.

To heat and cool campus buildings, the university utilizes a system of steam and chilled water pipes. As part of the new construction, the university will be laying two 36-inch concrete water lines and two 20-inch dual steel steam lines.

“The previous lines were undersized,” he said. “With the additions on campus … the new lines are going in to provide higher reliability to meet the higher demand.”