Here is information about engineering campus construction activities that may affect you in the coming week.
Important
- Pedestrians: Please avoid walking down Engineering Drive or Randall Avenue. Use designated sidewalks and crosswalks and refrain from walking in roadways or crossing mid-street. A map of approved pedestrian routes is available on the project update page at facilities.engr.wisc.edu.
- Vehicles: Be mindful of pedestrians in crosswalks; if you need to pause while traveling through campus, please keep crosswalks open. Please obey posted speed limit signs.
- Please obey flagger signals. Whether you are on foot, in a vehicle or using other transportation, these people are there to keep you safe when construction equipment is operating outside fenced areas.
- Plan ahead and keep your eyes up. Take extra care when traveling through or near the engineering campus. Be aware of construction and related vehicles entering and exiting various locations. Please avoid all fenced areas and construction trailers near the UW Athletics facilities. And most importantly, be patient and tolerant — your cooperation helps keep everyone safe.
New info: Changes and closures anticipated in the week ahead
- Beginning tomorrow (Nov. 21) through Nov. 23, the Engineering Research Building will be transitioning chilled water from the old to new systems. Building occupants have received separate emails with details.
- Over the next week or more, pedestrian walkways along Engineering Drive will shift due to work happening in front of Engineering Hall. Additionally, one of the adjacent crosswalks may close temporarily. Watch for signs and fencing to help you navigate this area.
Ongoing
- The WIAA state football tournament is ongoing through tomorrow. Many out-of-town visitors may be traveling through our campus; please be extra vigilant.
- Pile driving will continue for the Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center. (There is a map forecasting pile driving locations on the facilities.engr.wisc.edu project updates page.
- At times, you may notice odors in buildings adjacent to construction activity. Most of these odors are temporary; however, if the odors persist, please contact our facilities team at coe-facilities@engr.wisc.edu. If needed, arrange an alternate work location with your supervisor.
- Running through December, there is a temporary pedestrian path through Engineering Mall from Engineering Hall to University Avenue.
- The Engineering Research Building loading dock is closed (however, see future planning, below). Mail and shipping staff will operate out of the Engineering Centers Building receiving area; you can find contact information for these individuals on the loading dock door.
- Semi deliveries can no longer be accepted at College of Engineering loading docks. We would like most deliveries requiring an elevated dock to go to MDS; however, larger items on flatbeds that cannot be accepted by MDS should be coordinated by contacting our facilities team at coe-facilities@engr.wisc.edu.
For future planning or awareness
- We anticipate that during the week of Dec. 1, one Engineering Research Building loading dock bay will open.
- We anticipate that during the week of Dec. 1, pile driving in front of the Engineering Hall plaza will continue.
- We anticipate that crews will be removing piles on Dec. 1 and 2 from the area in front the Engineering Research Building.
- In the future, crews may be lifting scaffolding onto the Mechanical Engineering Building roof in the traffic lane between the Engineering Centers Building and ME, as well as the area adjacent to the Engineering Research Building loading dock.
Please be careful and aware: Whether you are on foot, bike, scooter, moped, in a vehicle, or otherwise, be alert and know what’s happening around you. If you see an immediate safety concern, please reach out to Pete Nemmetz, our assistant dean for facilities, right away, at pnemmetz@wisc.edu.
As always, many factors, including weather and other unknowns, may impact construction activities. If our contractors need to make unanticipated changes, I ask that you respect their instructions, and be patient with them and others.
Once again, our goal is to keep you informed about what’s happening for your safety and route-planning purposes.