Construction on a water project that began in May was scheduled to be completed Tuesday.
But if you've walked around campus, you probably noticed it wasn't.
Project manager Maria Probasco said construction will wrap up this month, as long as the water lines pass structural tests.
She said construction was stalled for the safety of students during Welcome Back Days.
"We had to extend it at the owners' request," she said. "They requested one week for the activities of Welcome Back Week in Smith Plaza and the Duck Pond, so the AUI contractors stopped working at our request so we could accommodate University activities."
UNM spokesman Benson Hendrix said construction did not stop completely during the Welcome Back Days. Crews were rerouted to be out of students' way, he said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Bob Notary, the associate director of engineering and energy services at the Physical Plant Department, said hydrostatic testing will run water at high pressure through the lines to ensure the pipes do not leak or break.
"If it passes that test, we can open the line up to the campus water system," he said.
Otherwise, dirt and debris could get into UNM drinking water, Notary said.
Once the tests are completed, the system can be reconnected to the University and the construction sites can be repaired, Probasco said.
"That way, everything is safe before the lines are connected to the buildings," she said.
The construction across Yale Mall involved boring underneath the Mother Earth Fountain in order to prevent damage to it.
The process was determined to be more cost effective to the University, Probasco said. It would have cost more than $100,000 and more time to safely remove the tiles around the fountain, whereas the bore was unnoticeable and caused no damage, she said.
The last line of the project is south of the fountain. Construction workers will open a trench to lay pipe all the way to Redondo Boulevard and connect the new water lines to two City of Albuquerque lines that will be taken over by the University, Probasco said.
Maria Coca, AUI foreman for this line of the project, said AUI is trying to disturb students and faculty as little as possible.
"We try to provide them with the best pedestrian access signs and make their way around a little easier," she said. "We also try to do any movement of equipment outside of our designated work area between class times."
Student Desiree Martinez said the construction is still inconvenient and disruptive.
"I have a class here at noon, and it is so loud," she said. "They are drilling with the jackhammers, and it is very distracting. It's a pain."
Senior Jenelle Judith Bartholomew said these problems could have been avoided with better planning.
"It's loud, and it bothers the people in the classrooms," she said. "They should have done it over the summer when there weren't as many people in the classrooms to be inconvenienced."
Once the construction nears the Redondo bus stop, Coca said it will not hinder the shuttle stop or the street traffic.
"We will not completely shut it down," she said. "If anything, we might do a lane drop so they will still have access to go around. We try to maintain access for (students) at all times."
Probasco said the University and representatives from AUI and the Physical Plant Department have worked well together to complete the project.
"Everyone has been cooperative," Probasco said. "I believe students see the need, and they are supportive and see all the positive things taking place at the University with having the correct water system. Once we are out of here, they won't even know it ever happened."
