Excavation near Franz, Knudsen may finish Friday

  EDWARD LIN A student surveys the area near the Knudsen
construction site Monday.

By Hemesh Patel and Linh
Tat
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

A temporary road, enclosed by two fences, separates the area
between Knudsen and Franz Halls, inconveniencing many students on
their way to class.

That’s because construction workers frequently close off
the pathway between the ends of the fence to let trucks hauling
away dirt drive past.

“When they close the gates to direct traffic, I feel like
I am part of a herd of cattle being led to the slaughterhouse
““ it’s ridiculous,” said Dan Garcia, a third-year
microbiology and molecular genetics student.

Each fence features a gate that allows students to pass through,
but when trucks are driving by, workers close off the road to
pedestrians.

According to Ron Enholm, principal project manager of Campus
Capital Programs, the university decided this road would be the
best route for trucks entering the construction site.

“It was determined and agreed there would be less general
impact to create a temporary access road on the north side of
Franz,” Enholm said.

Though construction activities currently pose an inconvenience
to students, university officials recognize the long-term benefits
of the project.

Enholm said the university is excavating land near Knudsen Hall
to prepare for construction of a new $27 million physics and
astronomy building.

Currently, classes and offices for that department are housed in
several different buildings, including Knudsen and Kinsey Halls and
the Mathematical Sciences building.

“The project’s primary intent is to allow for the
consolidation of the physics and astronomy department,”
Enholm said.

In addition to excavating land, the physics research lab in
Kinsey Hall will eventually be demolished and replaced in Knudsen
Hall.

The excavation, which began June 26, is scheduled to be
completed by Friday, but Enholm said there’s a chance
activities will extend to the middle of next week.

The university decided to start excavating the land ““ the
most disruptive part of construction ““ over the summer when
fewer students were around to feel its impact, Enholm said.

The second phase of the project, which involves the actual
construction of the building, is slated to begin in spring
2001.

Enholm said the time gap between the two phases is necessary for
the architect to draw up plans for the project.

Though the fence will remain in place until the new building is
complete, not everyone is worried about the inconvenience it may
cause for the next two years.

“I pass by Knudsen regularly and the gates are not that
much of an inconvenience because there are two entrances,”
said Mike Huang, a third-year aerospace engineering student.

“I time my route meticulously so when one gate is closed,
I will be on the way to the other gate and that will be open by the
time I get there,” he continued.