Campus Construction Update for Oct. 4

These are among the construction activities scheduled Oct. 4-10 at the University of Wyoming:

Campus -- Irrigation sprinkler systems are being blown out for the season. Overspray onto sidewalks and driveways could create slippery conditions; please use caution. Maintenance is scheduled to be complete by late October.

Grand Opening for the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts -- UW President Dick McGinity will host a grand opening Thursday, Oct. 8, for the expanded and renovated Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts. An open house will begin at 5 p.m., with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6 p.m. There is a symphony orchestra performance at 7:30 p.m. in the concert hall, and a theater and dance performance at 7:30 p.m. in the new Thrust Theatre. Tours and refreshments will be offered.

Traffic Alert -- With the start of a new semester, the UW Police Department reminds everyone that the speed limit around the perimeter of campus is 20 mph. It will be strictly enforced.

The UW Facilities Planning Office reports the following activities for the week:

High Bay Research Facility (General contractor Haselden Wyoming Constructors, Laramie; 19th Street; scheduled completion fall 2016) -- Over lot/rough grading activities are ongoing. The building’s shear walls have been poured up to the roof level, and the formwork is being disassembled. Subgrade materials and steel reinforcing are being placed in the west wing of the building for the concrete slab. This slab is scheduled to be poured the week of Sept. 28. Underground plumbing and electrical lines are being installed in the north wing of the building. Reinforcing and formwork are being installed around what will become a reaction wall for the structural testing lab in the north wing of the building. Work to install a water line northeast of the building is ongoing.

Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts (General contractor Sampson Construction, Cheyenne; Fine Arts Building renovation and expansion; scheduled completion August 2015) -- Substantial completion has been issued, and the new addition is occupied. Punch-list work is ongoing. AV (audio visual) commissioning is complete, with punch lists issued.

The parking lot on the east side of the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts is now open. Building visitors can enter through the main east entrance.

The new box office located in the central lobby is open, with 15-minute parking in the east parking lot. Work in the west lobby for new lighting will continue through early next week.

Half Acre Gymnasium Addition and Renovation (General contractor Groathouse Construction Inc., Cody; Phase 1 east reconstruction/addition was substantially completed March 13; Phase 2, historic west renovation, October 2015) -- Full project information is available here.

Phase 1 of the Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center is open. Punch-list tasks and building technology subsystem work toward Phase 2 renovation will continue post-occupancy. Pedestrian access to the new south building entrance from Prexy’s Pasture and from the east Wyoming Union parking lot has reopened. Please observe temporary barricades, cautionary signs or other posted instructions in areas where work will continue.

The west historic entrance is closed for Phase 2 renovation. Additional construction and staging areas are being established. Phase 2 deconstruction activities are complete. Renovation is underway throughout Phase 2, including mechanical and electrical rough-in and interior layout and framing. Work on the old gym continues with paint, lighting upgrades, and refinishing and striping the existing gym floor. Aquatics subcontract work related to the existing pool, new pool plumbing and the new whirlpool is underway. Completion of Phase 2 renovation is now scheduled for fall 2015.

Construction and staging areas north, east and west of the existing building have been established and are closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic, except that which is construction related. Pedestrian pathways north and south of Half Acre remain open; however, continuing construction in this vicinity will result in increased congestion. Temporary traffic controls, barricades and signs will be established as needed by specific site activities. Please observe all posted traffic control, construction signs and temporary flagging in the affected areas.

ASUW Student Memorial Plaza (General contractor Arcon Inc., Laramie; scheduled completion Oct. 1) -- This project is substantially complete. The only remaining work this fall includes completing the punch-list items. Alpine planting at the vertical dry-stack walls will take place during spring 2016 due to growing season requirements.

Hoyt Hall Renovation (General contractor TBD, anticipated completion Oct. 28, 2016) -- The bid date for this project is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015. Required structural repairs to the lower level of Hoyt Hall are currently being completed under a separate contract managed by the UW Physical Plant. The renovation work in the building is currently anticipated to begin in early January 2016, after all the structural repairs have been completed. Please observe all temporary barricades, cautionary signs or other posted instructions around the building where work is taking place inside.

Michael B. Enzi STEM Facility (General contractor AP Wyoming, Cheyenne; Lewis Street between 10th and 11th streets; scheduled completion August 2015) -- Please note that this project is being managed and administered by the State Construction Office. The intersection of 11th and Lewis is open for pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The sidewalk on the south side of Lewis is open, and there is access to the Earth Science/EIC loading dock. The construction office will relocate east to a staging area along Lewis.

Landscaping and minor site work are finishing around the building. This will cause intermittent disruptions to traffic on all surrounding streets.

Construction activity continues throughout the building. Final ceiling work is underway throughout, including corridors and public areas. Laboratory casework is complete throughout. Painting, floor tile and installation of acoustic wall paneling continue in the atrium. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing commissioning and testing are underway throughout, and will continue for several weeks. Finishing of the installation of stairs and elevators continues. There will continue to be numerous man lifts around the perimeter of the building, allowing work to progress on the cornice, curtain wall and masonry. The mason will continue to work on the final installation of stone and coping. Metal panels and trim on cornice soffits are underway.

Watch for construction traffic on Lewis, 10th, 11th and Bradley streets. For safety, pedestrians should make eye contact with equipment operators and delivery drivers outside the fenced area so they are aware of their presence. There will be equipment moving materials from storage to site, along with ongoing delivery of materials to site from vendors. You can visit the webcam here.

The UW Physical Plant has 335 projects in progress valued at more than $47.2 million. Following is a list of ongoing construction activities in areas of campus that may impact you:

Classroom Building (UW Physical Plant) -- Crews will be working in the area northeast of the Classroom Building to remove sidewalks and begin excavation to locate and repair a leaking water main. Access to the northeast doors of the building will be limited, but will remain open at this time. Vehicle access east of the Classroom Building will be closed from Physical Sciences to Biological Sciences. Please use caution around heavy equipment moving in and out of the area. A pedestrian detour map can be found here.   

Coe Library (Arcon Inc., Laramie; Commercial Flooring, Cheyenne; October 2015) -- Work to correct floating carpet tiles in the basement is scheduled to begin Oct. 5. All carpet tiles on the north end, west of Digital Collections, are to be corrected. Work will affect the location of books in this area, and access will be limited. If you are unable to obtain a desired book, journal, magazine, etc., please contact Coe Library staff for retrieval through the duration of this project. Please use caution near crews and equipment.

Animal Science/Molecular Biology (Fremont Electric, Laramie; November 2015) -- Lighting replacements and upgrades in the main entryway will begin. Please use caution around equipment staged on the north side of the building.

Wyoming State Vet Lab (Southeastern Wyoming Insulation, Laramie; October 2015) -- Soffit insulation for freeze prevention will start the week of Oct. 5. All work is anticipated to be done from the exterior of the building. A lift will be placed in the northwest lobby to facilitate any necessary inside work. Please use caution near the lift and workers.  

Health Sciences Complex (Simpson Electric Co., Cheyenne; October 2015) -- Work has been delayed to mid-October to perform control upgrades on different units in the complex. Work is scheduled to begin in the Pharmacy Building penthouse unit. The air-handling unit will be shut down for several hours to perform the upgrade. This upgrade is part of a re-commissioning project of the whole complex to increase system performance and energy efficiencies.

Physical Sciences (Colorado Hazard Control, UW Plumbing Shop; October 2015) -- Room 129 is being remodeled to accommodate new research. Plumbing and electrical work are ongoing. Please use caution near crews and equipment.

Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts (Trident Electric; Laramie; October 2015) -- New lobby lights are being installed. Occupants will still be able to walk through the lobby, but will be detoured around the perimeter of the containment area. Please use caution around crews and equipment.

Cheyenne Family Practice (Big Horn Roofing, Laramie; November 2015) -- Roof replacement is in progress, weather permitting. Please use caution around equipment staged on the north side of the building.

Arts and Sciences (Shepard Construction; Rawlins; October 2015) -- A ramp is being constructed for access to the north side of the A&S auditorium stage. Part of Room 118 will be converted for this space. Temporary barriers will be constructed for dust. Please use caution around crews and equipment.

Visual Arts Building (GE Johnson; October 2015) -- Work will be ongoing to replace exterior lighting and sealing the exterior envelope. Use caution near crews and equipment.

Biological Sciences (Laramie Heating and Sheet Metal; October 2015) -- A supplemental/emergency cooling system is scheduled to be installed in Room 427A. Work will be ongoing in this area and in the mechanical chase in the center of the building. Please use caution near crews and equipment.

Jacoby Golf Course (Christensen Irrigation Co., Costa Mesa, Calif.; May 2016) -- Mainline pipe is being installed along fairways six, seven, eight and nine. Piping and material are stockpiled in the staging area west of the clubhouse and around the course. Improvements are expected to decrease water consumption, reduce system maintenance and enhance aesthetics. Please use caution near crews and equipment in this area.

College of Agriculture Building -- Crews are working to repair a broken water main located between the Agriculture Building and the Education Annex. Water has been restored to all facilities. A complete repair has not been made due to difficult access to utilities. Water interruptions are anticipated, and repairs continue. Building occupants will be notified of any outages. Access to the area is limited, and the sidewalk between Agriculture and Education will remain closed. Please use caution around heavy equipment.

Coe Library (Laramie Heating & Sheet Metal, Laramie; October 2015) -- Work is ongoing on duct and plumbing modifications to all floors to resolve building pressurization issues. Work is anticipated to create noise and dust in work areas. Crews will begin on the sixth floor and move to the first floor as work progresses. Expect all floors to be affected. Use caution in work areas and around equipment.

Biological Sciences Building (Lance’s Painting, Laramie; October 2015) -- The east side of the building will be re-sealed at all windows, concrete control joints and expansion joints. A lift will be staged on the sidewalk east of the building throughout the project. Please be cautious around the lift and workers in the area.

Knight Hall Student Financial Operations (JC Construction, Laramie; November 2015) -- A renovation of the cashiers’ area and the Office Suite 172 is underway. The office area will be complete and ready for move-in Oct. 6. Moving crews will relocate the furniture, and temporary barriers will be established. Construction crews will enter and exit through the southwest Knight Hall corridor. Work in the cashiers’ area will be in progress during weekends and holidays through December. Three parking spots have been reserved for contractor vehicles and a construction waste trailer. Traffic-control barricades will be in place. Please be cautious of crews and equipment in the area.

Landmark Square Apartments (Highland Landscaping, Laramie; June 2016) -- Landscape improvements and a new sprinkler system are being installed for the entire Landmark Apartments property. Irrigation main, lateral line installation and pump station infrastructure are in progress. Sod installation and seasonal cleanup are in progress. Traffic-control barricades are in place. Please be cautious around excavation areas and equipment.

Spanish Walk Apartments Exterior Building Repairs (Shepard Construction, Rawlins; November 2015) -- Work on units A, B and C is complete. Work will be ongoing on unit D, weather permitting. The staging area will be in the northeast corner of the complex. Lift equipment will be used to access the mansards at building perimeters. Use caution near crews and equipment.

Energy Innovation Center (UW Physical Plant; Custom Fabrication, Laramie; Trident Electric, Laramie; October 2015) -- Installation of a five-row solar array is complete on the southeast roof of the building. Remaining electrical work for the D/C array is scheduled to be complete by Oct. 12. This array will be used for solar power research and to supplement the electricity demand at the building.

Hoyt Hall (UW Physical Plant, Arcon Inc.; October 2015) -- Repairs to the basement interior steel frame structure are in progress. Staging will be north of the building and south of Student Health. Access to the building is restricted. Please use caution around crews and equipment.

Sigma Phi Epsilon House (Glass Masters; Cheyenne; October 2015) -- Installation of new storm windows for the entire house is complete.

Arts and Sciences (Stonehouse Inc.; Laramie; October 2015) -- Installation of a concrete skirt with spillways and primary roof drain modifications on the northeast and north sides of the building is complete. Barricades are being removed and sod restored in spring 2016.