April 12, 2012 Meeting Minutes

Construction Planning and Progress Meeting
A170 Henry Center
April 12, 2012

Overview:

Construction Junctions are the Physical Plant’s monthly public meeting designed to update/inform the public of various projects currently in design, nearing construction and under construction. Agenda items included:

• Kane Howard
  • Clinical Center – Replace Fire Alarm System
• Andy Linebaugh
  • Steam Distribution – West Circle Steam Loop – 2012
  • Steam and Road Reconstruction – Chestnut Road and Steam Tunnel to I.M. West Building
• Kevin Durkin
  • Old College Field Phase VII
• Kari Arend
  • Northbound US-127 Auxiliary Lane Widening (Michigan Department of Transportation)
• Ron Lacasse
  • Harrison Road Reconstruction from Trowbridge Road to Mount Hope Road (City of East Lansing)

Clinical Center – Replace Fire Alarm System

• The existing fire alarm system is 36 years old, but the average life cycle is 30 years.
• The project will separate the system between the Clinical Center and the Animal Quarters so that an alarm in the Clinical Center will not affect research.
• The project includes the A, B and C wings.
• The A-Wing includes clinical suites to see patients.
• The B-Wing includes support offices, physician offices and some labs.
• The C-Wing includes animal quarters and a few offices.
• The Physical Plant staff is making sure to communicate with all of the departments involved.
• The design is nearly finished.
• Planning meetings are begining.
• Construction will begin July 2012 and end July 2013.
• The B-Wing will have normal working hours for construction.
• The C-Wing will be worked on during the second shift.
• The A-Wing will be second shift and weekend work to minimize disruptions.
• The existing fire alarm panel is in the basement of the A-Wing.
• All of the equipment is still reliable but needs to be upgraded for compatibility with other systems on campus.
• There will be an interactive graphic display installed.

Steam Distribution – West Circle Steam Loop - 2012

• Both lanes of traffic on West Circle Drive are open.
  • They will remain open until after graduation.
• Work from Beal Street to the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum will be worked on this summer.
• Work is being done to steam tunnels, communication lines, electrical lines and water mains.
• The project will be done in phases.
• Construction noise will be kept to a minimum from April 20 to May 7.
• Beal Street will be closed from May 7 to June 8.
• Phase three will being June 25.
• Phase four will begin in mid-July.
• Access to parking lots and Cowles House will be maintained.
• Emergency vehicle access to Olin Health Center will be maintained.
• The road and sidewalk portion of the project will be completed by Aug. 17.
• Vault 367 has been backfilled by Abbot Road.
• An access hole has been cut in the steam tunnel between Yakeley and Landon halls.
• Earth retention work has begun near the Old Botany Building.
• Vibration monitors have been place near the older buildings to make sure they are not being damaged.
• Construction detour maps are available at construction.msu.edu.

Q: Are we getting feedback about whether signs are helpful?
A: The people we have given them to, such as the staff of the MSU Library, were happy to get them, but we haven't heard from the general public.

Steam and Road Reconstruction – Chestnut Road & Steam Tunnel to I.M. West Building - 2012

• Work will take place on Chestnut Road between Munn Ice Arena and I.M. West.
• Work will begin May 7 and end Aug. 17.
• There will be some parking lot disruptions during the project.
• Work will be done on the steam tunnels, water mains, and the sanitary and storm drains.
• From May 7 to May 21, the work will mostly be near I.M. West.
  • There will be temporary sidewalks in place for pedestrians.
  • During this time, Kalamazoo Street will be closed, but Chestnut Road will be open.
• From May 21 to June 15, the work will be focused on Chestnut Road.
  • Access to Munn Ice Arena will be available from the north.
  • There will be a temporary drive in place from Lots 79 to 61.
• From June 15 to Aug. 17, access to Munn Ice Arena will be from the south.
• Access to the Munn Ice Arena loading dock will be maintained at all times.

Q: Will there be pedestrian access across Chestnut Road when it is closed?
A: We haven’t had that meeting yet. We did that on the West Circle Steam Loop project. We will look at that.

Q: You are closing Kalamazoo Street in phase one. Where are you detouring traffic?
A: We are sending them down Chestnut Road.

Q: What will happen to access to the baseball field?
A: That will be accessible at all times.

Old College Field Phase VII

• The project is being delivered via an internal construction manager.
• This is the last large phase at of the work at Old College Field.
  • There may be some smaller projects to come.
• Duct bank work was done over spring break.
• Phase seven will include the construction of the Pentecost Plaza and a ticket building.
• There is also a bike path from the Spartan Statue to the pedestrian bridge by the Kellogg Center being installed.
  • There will be some detours on the bike path starting May 7.
• The main entrance will be moved to line up with the softball stadium.
• The ticket building will be split to have a booth on each side of a walkway that goes through the middle.
• Work will begin May 7 and end Aug. 10.
• Access will be maintained the field via the road bridge behind the Kellogg Center.
• The bike path and pedestrian walkway will be side-by-side.
• There will be complete access to Old College Field throughout the project.

Northbound US-127 Auxiliary Lane Widening (Michigan Department of Transportation)                                                    

• The project will be on northbound US-127.
• An auxiliary lane will be added between the I-496 ramp and the M-43 ramp.
• The construction timeline has been accelerated.
• Work will begin in late May.
• Work will not impact any May activities on campus, like graduation.
• Work will end in August.
• There will be one lane for through-traffic during the project.
• The additional lane will be for the use of cars entering and exiting the ramps.
• The exit to Saginaw Street from US-127 will be closed.
  • Drivers will be detoured to Kalamazoo Street.
• To receive updates, visit michigan.gov/drive.
• For more information, visit michigan.gov/mdot.

Q: Will this project help with the northbound traffic jams in the mornings?
A: Yes, it will make it so if you only need to go one exit, you don’t have to merge onto the highway.

Q: When will the I-96 closures begin?
A: We are not sure yet. It will be limited to 10 weekends, and we will avoid holidays.

Harrison Road Reconstruction from Trowbridge Road to Mt. Hope Road (City of East Lansing)

• Reconstruction on Harrison Road (from Trowbridge Road to Mt. Hope Road) will begin May 7.
• The City of East Lansing has met with the buildings that are along the section of road and will be impacted.
• The project is being done in phases because of the railroad tracks.
• There will be a detour from May 7 to July 27 down Farm Lane.
• The portion of Harrison Road from North Crescent Road to Trowbridge Road will be closed.
• Work on the northbound lane of Harrison Road will begin in May.
• Access to Spartan Village will always be maintained.
• The traffic light at Harrison Road and North Crescent Road will be a flashing yellow.
• The traffic light at Service Road and Harrison Road will be a flashing red.
• Access will be maintained to the bus and train station at all times.
• Work will be done on the water main at the Trowbridge Road and Harrison Road intersection.
  • Most of the work will be done at night to avoid traffic impacts.
• The asphalt will be repaved at night to avoid traffic impacts.
• Some temporary drives will be installed to maintain access to buildings.
• Pedestrian access will be maintained from North Crescent to Trowbridge Road.
• There will also be work on Kalamazoo Street in 2013.

Q: Are you going to change the timing of the traffic signals on the detours?
A: Those are campus signals. The University is not planning on retiming them, but the lights will be adjusted if it is necessary. A traffic engineer will be monitoring to see if a change needs to be made.

Q: When the project is done, will there be any enhanced pedestrian signals?
A: There was not anything in the budget at this time for that.

Q: The timing has been excellent lately on the traffic lights on Harrison Road. Will we go back to that pattern after that work?
A: When a train goes through, it sets off the signal, and it takes seven to 10 minutes for the light to be resequenced. If another train goes through, it throws everything off. So, if it has been working well, it is because there has not been a train.

Q: How many trains come through the area?
A: When Farm Lane work was done, there were more than 60 trains per day, and some were two miles in length.

Q: What is that small white light that is on the signal at Trowbridge Road and Harrison Road?
A: Those are the emergency flashers that go off when an ambulance, fire truck or police car goes by.