You may hear a constant pounding sound when you return to campus this fall. Don't worry - it's not all in your head.
UNM is working to upgrade its water system and give the campus a face-lift by the end of this semester.
Two large construction projects will upgrade the campus water infrastructure and Castetter Hall in the coming months.
Maria Probasco, project director of the Physical Plant Department, said the department plans to replace all the domestic water lines on campus in four major areas.
Construction began near La Posada and reaches to the Santa Ana dormitory, Probasco said, and the next part of the project will involve replacing the water lines from the Yale bus stop across from the Duck Pond.
These areas are nearing completion, she said.
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Roy Gallea, project engineer for the water upgrade, said that construction will be finished before the fall semester.
"Because these lines were our top priorities, they won't affect the students when school starts up again," he said.
Another line, which extends from the "Center of the Universe" sculpture across Yale Mall, will be replaced next, Gallea said.
Construction also includes renovations to the area near Mitchell Hall in order to create a path for fire truck access, he said.
Gallea said the last part of the construction will be the replacement of the water line across the north side of Smith Plaza, where a ramp will be added to the westˇsteps.
The Physical Plant Department aims to complete the project in the plaza by Aug. 25, and the department is eager for students to know what improvements are in store, Probasco said.
"They need to know all this stuff that is taking place, because after it is covered, no one will even know we did all of this," she said.
Probasco said the rest of the project, including the work on Yale Mall, is scheduled for completion in late September.
This project to care for the University's infrastructure is the fifth step in a multi-phase plan, Probasco said. The last phase replaced water and sewer lines in the area between the Social Sciences building, the College of Education and the Kiva.
The Physical Plant is planning to start at least one additional phase of the Water Upgrade Project in the next few years, Probasco said, but these projects still require planning.
"It has to make sense," she said. "It has to follow a certain path where the connections are taking place."
Another project this summer is the expansion and renovation of Castetter Hall.
Sam Loker, chairman of the biology department, said the department began developing the project with the restoration of the basement last year.
The basement work was funded by the Student Bond Initiative in 2006, Loker said.
Marc Saavedra, director of the Office of Government Affairs, said the funding for the rest of the project has come primarily from the state Legislature.
The completion of the project will require about $8 million, Saavedra said, $5 million of which will be on the General Obligation Bond, which voters will decide on in November.
Other projects on the bond include updates and additions to campus buildings such as the Center for Cancer Research, Center for Neuroscience Research and Dental Education facilities. It will also include funding for the Film and Digital Media building being built in Mesa del Sol, he said.
The current phase includes construction on the southwest portion of Castetter Hall and Marron Hall and the addition of a research greenhouse, Loker said.
The next phase will include the construction of a biology building with three floors and additional research labs, he said.
"I don't have anything but praise for the University in the project," Loker said. "It is also important to recognize that there are lots of parts of UNM that have to work effectively together. It takes a lot of teamwork."
