The Campus Road Repairs Project is a three-phase project focusing on campus safety and efficiency by adding wider sidewalks, bike lanes and new asphalt.
The repairs include fixing cracks and loose asphalt as well as adding bike lanes for a safer riding experience away from cars. The repairs project will be done slowly over time within the next couple of months.
Construction on the Walter Pyramid access road will begin May 19, after the end of the spring 2023 semester when there will be less foot traffic from students, staff and faculty. The access road, which runs behind The Pyramid, allows service vehicles and school vehicles to pass from one side of the campus to the other.
The setting up of fencing and perimeter blockades will alter routes and increase traffic on campus, and thus be best completed when there are fewer people on campus, according to Michael Gardner, the director of planning and sustainability for Beach Building Services.
Phase one of the Campus Road Repairs Project was completed in early February. This project repaired Brotman Drive and Merriam Way and included repaving and repainting crosswalks and guiding lines.
Melissa Soto, manager of capital program development design and construction services, said that the roadways take a beating over time due to the high transportation rate as a commuter school.
“For a campus as large and heavily utilized as ours, the roadways take quite a beating,” Soto said.
The potholes are hazardous for cars that drive through these roadways and the cracks can be a tripping hazard for students that walk.
The repaving of the roads is only one portion for the repairs project. A new bikeway was recently added behind the Social Science and Public Affairs building. Gardener said adding the bike lane promoted a safer environment for cyclists that commute to campus.
“The bike lane is to promote the healthy living idea on campus,” Gardner said.
The maintenance funds are allocated to all CSUs in part of the 2021 State Budget Act, SB129, for maintenance repairs that have been put off throughout the year.
While the funds are given to schools, each university has more leeway to decide which projects the funds will be put toward. The phase one project at CSULB alone cost the school $829,554 in state deferred maintenance funds.
In total, the cost of all three phases will be approximately $2.4 million due to the fact that the prices of the projects may change due to internal issues.