Blocked

UNM students ran late on their first day of class Monday as they encountered large fences around many high-traffic areas on campus that blocked sidewalks and pointed to detours over narrow dirt paths.

"I understand why we need the construction because it is good to update everything, but it is always at the wrong time and wrong place, and it just seems like it's not done quick enough for school, and that bothers me," senior Jodee Chavez said.

Construction project manager Maria Probasco said students can expect delays to continue through September, when the construction is scheduled to be completed.

Bob Notary, associate director of engineering and energy services for UNM's Physical Plant Department, said it was impossible to complete construction before school began.

To minimize problems for students, Notary said the project phases were prioritized. While students were gone for the summer, construction was completed in the areas project coordinators determined would have the most impact on students, he said.

"Though it is a huge area, this was determined to be less invasive to students when they came back to school," he said.

The construction going on at these sites is the final phase of a project to replace water lines on campus, Probasco said.

The project began in May, and several areas have been completed. Two lines have already been replaced - one in front of La Posada and the dorms and another that reached from the Yale bus stop across the Duck Pond.

An area extending across Smith Plaza was completed ahead of schedule, in time for the.

The last two areas undergoing construction include a stretch from the Center of the Universe statue to the Redondo bus stop and the area across the front of Mitchell Hall.

Probasco said the completion of the water project is important for promoting the safety of the University.

"These are important projects for the University, and it is to make it better for students," she said. "That is, in terms of fire protection and to make sure we have the appropriate water pressure to fight fires."

Many students find the construction an increased stress during their first week of classes. Chavez said she has been aware of the construction projects throughout her time at UNM. She said the constant construction is a problem for students trying to get back into the routine of the semester.

Student Iesha Pena said the construction will be an improvement to the University.

"I think that it is a positive thing because I feel like some of the facilities are ill-equipped or old, so I do think that it is necessary, and it is good, but the loud noise is just disturbing for classes," she said.

The beginning of school is also disrupting the flow of the construction. Construction crews must monitor the flow of traffic through the project areas and work when the areas are least congested.

Eugene Rael, the foreman of the project in Yale Mall, said organization on the first day of classes was extremely difficult, but crews have been able to time their projects around when students will be changing classes.

"When students are in class, we are able to do a little more heavy work and be more productive," he said.

This way, student traffic is less likely to be hindered by the larger movements the project requires, Rael said.

"I know that everyone switches classes 10 minutes before the hour, so it gives us a bit of a heads up," he said. "From what I can tell, it's going to be tough to get this job done mainly because of the traffic through here, and there is no way to direct people from one side to the other. We have to accommodate them as much as possible."

Rael said the stress of this project as school begins is not lost on him and he will do his best to alleviate the frustration that students may have as they encounter the construction.

"I feel for them," he said. "Bear with me - I am really sorry. I understand that students have to go to class. That is just the situation we are in, and we all have to deal with it."

Probasco said the construction is going ahead of schedule and is confident that it will not be long before the UNM community will be able to appreciate the results.

"These things take time, and we just need everybody's cooperation and we should be able to complete this on schedule," she said.