HomeMy WebLinkAboutRepairs on UniversityIL Repairs on University Drive warrant
olice monitoring for motorists' safety.
. y
Road work
on University
Drive causes
traffic back -up
Wednesday
afternoon.
Police were on
hand to
ensure
motorists
and
pedestrians
were safe.
\ 3l�iy
der
BY JOE SCHUMACHER
The Battalion
construction
University Drive from Well-
born Road to Texas Avenue is
currently undergoing heavy
construction. A seal coat and a
hot -mix overlay are being c ap -
plied to the road. Plans are for
the project to be completed by
mid to late September.
Catherine Hejl, assistant area
engineer of Brazos County, said
the seal coat will take five to six
working days to complete and
the hot -mix will take another five
to six working days.
Traffic heading east is heavily
congested from Wellborn to
Bizzell. College Station Police of-
ficers were directing traffic at
every intersection from Texas Av-
enue to Old College Road.
Traffic is narrowed down to
one lane in either direction dur-
ing construction hours.
Hejl said the project was slat-
ed to be completed in August.
However, there were several de-
lays in construction.
The primary contractor,
Jones G. Einke, Inc. of Sealy,
sub - contracted the repairs on
University Drive repairs to a
smaller company. However,
upon viewing the condition of
JAKE SCHRICKLINGfFHE BATTALION
University Drive, the company
backed out of the contract.
The contractors have request-
ed police assistance to ensure the
safety of motorists and students.
Lt. Mike Mathews of the
College Station Police Depart -
ment said there will he officers
on University Drive during
construction.
He also advises motorists to
use alternate routes if possible.
Otherwise, motorists should plan
accordingly for delays.
A press release from the Texas
Department of Transportation
said most work on University
Drive will begin at 7 a.m.
MOTOR MADNESS
Univers Dr construct shows
poor planning and disregard for students
Students returning to Texas The current chaos that is Uni-
A&M each year can always count versity Drive is a problem on more
on a few certainties. Classes will levels than just poor planning,
be bigger, fees will increase, fresh - though. First and foremost it is a
men will be walking aimlessly traffic nightmare. As if traffic near
around campus with maps and the University was not bad enough,
some seemingly unnecessary con - the major access road is limited to
struction will cause more one -way traffic to and from cam -
headaches than it is worth. pus. Second, the construction is a
This year's obvious example is dangerous situation. With cars
the construction on University Dri- backing up and getting stuck in in-
ve, one of the most highly trafficked tersections during light changes, the
streets in the Bryan- College Station situation is begging for an automo-
area. It is one of only four true ac- bile pile -up or worse — not to men -
cess streets to campus, and_thanks tion that pedestrians attempting to
to poor Rlanning lathe City ofof o cross these jumbled crosswalks are
lege Station, it is Villa:If closed. literally racing for their lives.
Tearing up University Drive in The city never should have be-
August seemed a bad plan from gun such a massive undertaking
the get -go. Students were already anywhere near the time of fall
beginning to mill back from sum- classes. No date should have been
mer breaks, and summer school scheduled which might have pos-
students were still trying to get to sibly, with any complications, con -
class If e city was going to tear tinued to the start of this semester.
up a major road, it should have The University is welcoming one
started as early in the summer as of its largest freshman classes, not
possible, before the massive return to mention the tens of thousands
of students.he city planners of students who already called
were doing tT?eir jobs, the con- A&M home, and the ci is making
struction would have been slated a mess even messier.
for the week after the spring se- The city often chooses to forget
mester classes were completed. that students are in fact residents of
The real question, though, is this community, and makes this at-
why all the construction was nec- titude clear with decisions such as
essary in the first place. University closing Munson Street earlier this
Drive was not a street in serious dis -. summer. The catastrophe on Uni-
repair; it was in fairly good shape. versity has only further indicated
It certainly did not require the mas- the c s.,rnmp1 to disre and of the
sive overhaul currently underway. student residents of College Station.