Locust Walk construction nears completion

Upon returning from Thanksgiving break, students will find construction on Locust Walk complete.

The 3800 block, which was due to be completed on Oct. 30, was finished last week. The 3900 block will also be open a few days ahead of its expected completion date, Dec. 1.

The walkway is now open to students and fences around Harnwell College House and 1920 Commons have been removed, but “a final punch list of items is being addressed now,” Marc Cooper, project manager of design and construction with the Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services, wrote in an email.

He credited the early finish to an “effective project team, contractor and work with partners and stakeholders.”

Several students mentioned that the construction was an inconvenience, but not a hindrance to traveling around campus.

“It has definitely gotten better since they finished some of the construction closer to 1920 Commons,” said College sophomore Marlee Stesin, who lives in Rodin College House.

Engineering sophomore Kristin Marra expressed her frustrations withtraveling from Rodin, where she lives, to Civic House across the walk.

She said, however, that she has “gotten used to it for the most part.”

“It was more annoying in the beginning of the year. Now it’s part of my schedule,” she added.

“It hasn’t radically changed my behavior,” College and Wharton sophomore Abe Sutton added.

Cooper wrote that he was unaware of any student complaints about the temporary pathways.

Though the sewer and water main under the 3900 block have already been replaced, the team is still working to install brick and granite cobble pavers and benches in the area.

According to Cooper, the path between Rodin and Harrison college houses will not open until the block is fully completed.

“The only thing that I’ve had trouble with is getting from Harrison to [The Fresh Grocer],” said Wharton junior Sam Tang, a Harrison resident.

“To get from Rodin to Harrison is slightly more annoying, but I admit I don’t do that on a regular basis,” Sutton said.

While Tang said the construction was “a pretty good thing for campus,” he hasn’t noticed any considerable differences on the completed 3600 and 3800 blocks.

“I do feel sort of bad complaining about it because I complained last year that there were so many holes on Locust,” Stesin said.

“I believe that as the students have seen the renovated walkway sections open up for use … they have understood and appreciated that the end result for this upgrade … was worth the temporary inconvenience,” Cooper wrote.

Stesin added, however, that it was “a little bit ridiculous that after three months they still haven’t completed it.”

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