The University of New Mexico is now working on the fifth phase of a multi-phase project that began eight years ago that enhances the domestic water system on campus. Construction is in progress in front of the La Posada dining hall and is expected to end the last week of September at Redondo and Yale Boulevard.
The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the university’s domestic water system and provide additional water pressure for fire hydrant and building fire sprinkler systems. In order to provide adequate pressure to the campus, the university will also be taking over two water lines from the city of Albuquerque.
Construction for the residence halls and the duck pond, high traffic areas for students during the semester, has started and is expected to be completed in late July, before students return for the start of the fall semester.
The other areas of campus scheduled for construction include the pedestrian walkway from Smith Plaza west to beyond Mitchell Hall, which will be completed in early September, and the Yale Mall area, stretching from north of the Duck Pond south to Redondo Drive, which is expected to be finished in late September.
In order to make sure there is no damage to the Mother Earth Fountain in Yale Mall, the construction team will bore underneath the fountain and pedestrian intersection, while barricading the fountain and providing a pedestrian pathway in the area.
The first phase involved replacing the water pipes and pumps on the edge of campus. Following projects then involved connecting the ring of pipes to the interior of campus, like the spokes of a wheel. This project dovetails with the UNM Water Master Plan, developed by WH Pacific, the same company responsible for the design of the current phase of the water project.
The construction project will also replace the steps on the west side of Smith Plaza with a ramp. This, in addition to other construction changes, are designed to make the campus more accessible by fire engine, should the need arise.
“Everyone understands the need for this project and how much we have already strengthened UNM’s water delivery capabilities. This helps ensure that adequate water flows and pressures will be available for fire fighting, should the need arise,” UNM Physical Plant Department project manager Maria Probasco said.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at June 10, 2008 12:12 PM