Campus Construction Causing Headaches and Hassles
by Elizabeth Storch

It may seem like you can’t escape from the sounds of construction or the sidewalk detours on campus these days. Add the closing of Cameron Avenue to the list of construction hassles, and you’ve got a frustrated community. Students are annoyed.

“I was late to my literary class because I couldn't cut through by Phillips,” said UNC-CH junior Kelsey Stamps. “I had to walk all the way around from Dey [Hall], and I was definitely almost late.”

“Sometimes there are new detours that you don't expect, so you tend to be late to courses, which isn’t good,” said sophomore Lauren Russell.

There are fifty construction projects currently underway. Many of them are behind schedule. The problem isn’t just the number of projects, it’s how many of them are running behind. For example, work on the Rams Head Center began nearly two and a half years ago. It was supposed to be done by now, but the new target date is next October.

Memorial Hall is another example. It is running ten months behind schedule. Even the closing of Cameron Avenue was postponed by two weeks. Bruce Runberg, vice chancellor of facilities, planning and construction, said there are a number of reasons why projects can run behind.

“They tend to often be unforeseen conditions,” said Runberg. “Utilities are not where they are supposed to be, or, for example, we’ve had a couple of instances where we’ve run into rock, where we’ve had to blast.”

While a few projects are behind, Runberg said the master plan, which outlines 150 construction projects taking place during the next 50 years, is a few years a head of schedule. A committee created the master plan in 1997 with the goal of accommodating growth while maintaining landscape and architectural traditions.

While the official completion date for the Rams Head Center is October 2005, portions like the dining facility and parking garage will be open to students in March.