Contact Us

Institutional Communications

Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137

Laramie

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-2929

Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu

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Campus Construction Update for Aug 3

August 1, 2014
Water overflowing on campus
Water rushes down the stairs south of the Cheney International Center during Tuesday’s heavy rainstorm. (Maria Almendares Photo)

These are among the construction activities scheduled Aug. 3-9 at the University of Wyoming:

15th and Lewis Street Closure -- (General contractor Mechanical Systems Inc., Cheyenne; scheduled completion June 2015) -- The intersection of 15th and Lewis streets will be closed through Aug. 24. Traffic will be detoured around the intersection via Willett Drive, 22nd Street and Harney Street. Lewis Street will be closed from 10th Street to 15th Street through Oct. 31. Pedestrian access will be via the sidewalk on the north side of Lewis Street. Excavation work also will be ongoing west of 19th Street, and the sidewalk in the area will remain closed. Be aware of barricades, traffic signs and heavy equipment in these areas. UW transit routes will be redirected during construction. Maps of the 15th and Lewis Street closures and the associated transit route can be seen here.

Swimming Pool Closing -- The Corbett Building swimming pool will be closed and drained beginning Friday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m. to perform maintenance work and minor upgrades. The pool is scheduled to reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2. This work will affect the pool area only.

Willett Parking and Construction -- Site improvement work for the Half Acre Gymnasium project will impact portions of Willett Drive south of Wyoming Hall. Willett Drive south of Wyoming Hall is closed to all but local traffic and reduced to one-way traffic westbound only for access to the parking north of Wyoming Hall. Exit from the Wyoming Hall lot will be restricted to the Lewis Street driveway northbound. Temporary traffic controls and signs will be established as needed by specific site activities. Temporary disability spaces have been established on the north side of Wyoming Hall. Normal traffic will resume on or about Aug. 25.

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

Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center Spruce Court (General Contractor: Arcon, Inc., Laramie) -- Construction will begin with set up of site fencing and ground protection. Installation of deck piers will follow in the next two weeks.

Hollows Sidewalk ADA Improvements (General contractor Sweckard Excavation LLC, Laramie; between Ivinson Street and Merica Hall/Old Main) --All contract work is complete. UW grounds crews will be making repairs to the sod areas damaged by the recent heavy rains.

Half Acre Gymnasium Addition and Renovation (General contractor Groathouse Construction Inc., Cody; scheduled completion of Phase 1, east reconstruction/addition, fall 2014; Phase 2, historic west renovation, spring 2015) -- Full project information is available here. Construction progress can be observed via the project webcam here. Half Acre Gymnasium remains open and accessible via the west entrance. The day lot parking area and roadway immediately east of Half Acre Gymnasium is closed. Temporary day-use parking has been established in the lot east of the Wyoming Union.

Construction and staging areas north, south and east of the existing building have been established and are closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic, except that which is construction related. Access to Prexy’s Pasture from the east Wyoming Union parking lot between Half Acre and the Wyoming Union is closed until further notice. Please use alternate routes through the Wyoming Union or between the union and Coe Library. Heavy truck traffic, including construction materials transport, concrete trucks and other haulers, will be frequent on Willett Drive west of 15th Street and along the perimeter of the Wyoming Union parking lot. Temporary traffic controls and signs are either in place or will be established as needed by specific site activities. Construction work for Phase 1, consisting of the reconstruction/addition of the east portion of the existing building, continues this week. The general structural and supporting components of the addition are in place, including foundation, earthwork, under-slab building systems, building utilities, interior structural shear wall, structural steel frame, and interior slab-on-grade and slab-on-deck construction. Interior construction is continuing, with building systems rough-in, masonry, wall and ceiling systems framing, and fireproofing underway. Exterior building enclosure work has begun, including exterior framing, envelope thermal and moisture protection systems, stone and brick masonry, openings and roofing. Specialty building equipment, including climbing wall/pinnacle components and penthouse HVAC units, has been delivered and is in the process of being installed.

As anticipated by the recent temporary expansion of the construction and staging area along the pedestrian pathways north of Half Acre Gymnasium between Prexy’s Pasture and Willett Drive, including the closure of portions of the Lab School playground through approximately Aug. 1, a sub-phase of the reconstruction/addition has begun to build out the northwest structural steel frame and concrete slab-on-grade and slab-on-deck adjacent to the retained existing stone walls. Pedestrian access in this vicinity will remain open; however, the construction effort on this sub-phase will result in increased congestion.

Site improvement work associated with the Half Acre Gymnasium addition and renovation will impact portions of the parking lot east of the Wyoming Union through Aug. 24. Normal vehicular access to the parking lot will remain open; however, construction work along the north perimeter of this lot will require some temporary detours in that area. Temporary traffic controls 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. 

Arena-Auditorium Renovations (General contractor Haselden Constructors, Casper; Willett Drive; scheduled completion fall 2014) -- Phase 1 of the Arena-Auditorium renovations is approximately 70 percent complete. The ADA seating platforms are being constructed within the arena at the concourse level. The metal railings separating the fixed seating areas from the retractable seats at the floor level have been installed and will begin to be painted. Speakers have been installed on the upper catwalk in the arena, and painting of the catwalk/ speaker brackets is underway. Demolition and reconstruction of the room housing the sump pump are underway adjacent to the truck tunnel. Drywall in the women’s basketball locker room and the visiting team locker is 95 percent complete. Drywall in the remaining sub-concourse level areas is underway and approximately 75 percent complete. Casework and built-in wood lockers will begin installation in the next two weeks. The wood floor for the basketball courts is currently stacked in the Arena allowing the wood to dry and acclimate to our local microclimate. The installation of the sub-floor framing will begin next week with the installation of the wood floor scheduled to begin in two weeks. Tile installation is underway and approximately 25 percent complete.

Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center (General contractor Haselden Constructors, Casper; 22nd and Grand; scheduled completion fall 2014) -- The Gateway Center is approximately 80 percent complete. Metal trim enclosures and caulking are taking place on the exterior of the building. Site work on the south side of the building is ongoing and currently consists of the installation of underground electrical and placement of landscaping boulders. Final inspections are taking place on the north portion of the first floor. On the south portion of the first floor, painting is complete and flooring is being installed. Installation of the environmental graphics and related casework has started in the Memorial Concourse. DIRTT walls (modular office partitions) are being installed on the second floor. Door panels and finish hardware is being installed throughout the building. Tile work is ongoing on the second and third floors. Air handling units were turned on and commissioned beginning July 1. Additional project information is available here. Click here for updated images taken by the construction cam.

Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts (General contractor Sampson Construction, Cheyenne; Fine Arts Building renovation and expansion; scheduled completion December 2014) -- The parking lot on the east side of the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts is closed and is being used for construction staging. Building visitors should use the parking lot on the north side of the building. Those entering the Performing Arts Center must now enter through the doors on the building’s west side. This will be the entrance for all building operations, including classes, ticket purchases and performances, until construction is complete.

The parking lot south of the building will be partially closed beginning this week or next week for new sanitary and storm sewer piping installation. The building heating system is shut off for upgrades through mid-September. Part of the west sidewalk along the north end is partially closed to pedestrians through August during the installation of an electrical equipment screened wall and landscaping. Footing excavation, rebar placement and pouring, along with foundation, are complete. Grade beam exaction and forming is complete. Backfill is complete. Exterior framing, sheathing and vapor barrier installation are continuing on the north and the middle addition. Masonry is ongoing on the north side. Roofing is 75 percent complete. Interior framing/drywall, rough-in plumbing, duct work and electrical are ongoing. Steel erection is complete on the east side of the addition and has started on the northwest side. Concrete slabs on grade and on metal decking are 95 percent complete. Work in the existing building is ongoing. Heavy truck traffic will be frequent near War Memorial Fieldhouse, 22nd Street and Willett Drive, and along the road west of the College of Law Building.

Biological Sciences Building Mechanical Modifications (General Contractor Independent Heating and Sheet Metal, Laramie) -- Start-up for the evaporative cooling in the lab areas is complete. Commissioning work on the evaporative cooling system is complete. Fifth-floor ceiling grid, ceiling panels, duct modifications and lighting are complete with air balancing and sound testing will be done this week.

ESCo Project (Long Energy Solutions, Casper) -- Wyoming State Vet Lab air distribution and control work are complete. Engineering air distribution and control work has begun. Non-lab area work has started on the sixth floor and is working down throughout the summer. The lab area work will be a mix of floors throughout the summer. The heating system in the Engineering Building is down through August. New VAV installations for non-lab areas in the College of Agriculture Building are complete.

McIntyre Hall (General contractor Sampson Construction, Cheyenne) -- Window replacement is continuing from the 12th floor and will work down through the eighth floor. Barricades are placed around the ground-level perimeter. Use caution around the area. Apartment remodeling, plumbing and electrical finishes are scheduled for this week. The valve replacement is complete on floors two through12 and will start in the mechanical rooms this week. The contractor staging is on the south side of Orr Hall.

Enzi STEM Facility (General contractor AP Wyoming, Cheyenne; Lewis Street between 10th and 11th streets; scheduled completion May 2015) -- Lewis Street remains closed between 10th and 11th streets. Please note that this project is being managed and administered by the State Construction Office.

Remaining major underground utilities, electrical, water, sewer and storm water are nearing completion along the north side of the building. Placement of underground interior utilities along with foundation and shear walls at elevator/stairs -- including wall forms, steel reinforcing and concrete -- will continue this month and into August. Structural steel erection is well underway and has begun on the fourth floor. Concrete placement for the first-floor slab-on-grade is complete. Concrete floor slabs are being poured at the second and third floors as steel decking and reinforcing is ready. Concrete slabs at the fourth floor, roof and mechanical penthouses will follow the steel erection around the building as new areas are prepared. Concrete, reinforcing steel and fill material delivery will continue based on requirements to sustain the work in progress.

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 materials and equipment delivered to site and storage yards along Lewis Street, with resulting heavy truck traffic. Job trailers, storage containers, materials and equipment are in storage yards east along Lewis Street. There will be equipment moving materials from storage to site.

Within the next few weeks, there will be additional construction activities south of the new Enzi STEM building on Lewis between 10th and 11th as the construction enclosure fencing will be expanded to include work areas directly in front of the west portion of the Energy Innovation Center. The contractor will construct a steam tunnel extension from the curb just north of the EIC to the north side of Lewis. Utility work and concrete tunnel construction will continue for several weeks. The sidewalk on the south side of Lewis Street will be closed for a time. Access to the dock and service drive west of the EIC will be maintained during the construction. The exact start date and estimate of duration will be determined soon.

Golf Practice Facility (General contractor Spiegelberg Lumber and Building Co., Laramie) -- This project is substantially complete and occupancy has been taken, with all access and site restrictions removed. Minor remaining items of work are yet to be completed by construction crews. Please observe any temporary provisions in place to accommodate the work.

Education Annex -- Literacy Research Center and Clinic (General contractor Shepard Construction Inc., Rawlins) -- This project is substantially complete and occupancy has been taken, with all access and site restrictions removed. Some minor work is yet to be completed by construction crews. Please observe any temporary provisions in place to accommodate the work.

Education Annex Canopy (General contractor Elk Ridge Builders & Design LLC, Laramie) -- This project is substantially complete and occupancy has been taken, with all access and site restrictions removed. Minor remaining items of work are yet to be completed by construction crews. Please observe any temporary provisions in place to accommodate the work.

The UW Physical Plant has 343 projects in progress valued at more than $31.4 million. Following is a list of ongoing construction activities in areas of campus that may impact you:

Steam Shutdown -- The UW Physical Plant reports that the annual campus steam shutdown will continue through the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 25. Most campus buildings bounded from 22nd to Ninth and Ivinson to Lewis streets will not have hot water or steam during the shutdown. A portable boiler is placed in the area of Washakie Dining Hall until Aug. 27.

Sidewalk Closure between Classroom Building/Health Sciences (Stonehouse Inc., Laramie, August 2014) -- The pedestrian walkway is now accessible between both buildings. Repairs to irrigation main haven’t started. Please use caution near excavated area on the southeast corner of Health Sciences.

Biological Science (Big Horn Roofing, Laramie) -- Installation of the roof around HVAC equipment will begin Aug 4. Staging will be on the southeast side of the building near the disposal chute. Use caution near staging area during debris removal.

Grand Avenue Reconstruction (Wyoming Department of Transportation) -- Construction work on Grand Avenue is on track to be completed by Aug. 27. Grand Avenue is still closed from 15th-21st streets. Vehicle traffic is open on 19th Street, heading south only. The 17th Street parking lot is closed to resident vehicle parking, as this is the delivery truck route while the 17th Street access from Grand Avenue is closed. Be aware of “No Parking” and “Detour” signs, and barricades in the area. Access to traffic alternates between 17th and 19th depending on construction activities. Signs in the residence hall area direct the traffic to the appropriate access. Please use caution near heavy equipment and excavations in the area. Parking is prohibited in the residents’ parking lot west of Hill Hall and south of Orr Hall. UW Transit and Parking Services has rerouted both the Classroom Express and the Gem City Grand from the stops on King Street and Grand Avenue to north of the Information Technology Building along Sorority Row. For more information about residence hall access, pedestrian access and other activities affected by the project, click here.

White Hall  (A&R Metal and Voltech Electric, both of Laramie; scheduled completion August 2014) -- Work to install raceways, grounding, air conditioning and power for a new satellite TV provider “Campus Televideo” is ongoing. Staging will be west and north of the building. Use caution around work areas.

Wyoming Union -- Abatement and flooring crews will be working in the following areas: Renovation activities will continue in the breezeway lounge areas, Fireplace Lounge and north of Rolling Mill Café. The Gardens, billiard hall and information desk areas are complete. Renovation activities may generate minor noise in the areas. The air handling system will be interrupted at times for the duration of the project. Please use caution around crews and equipment.

Wyoming Union (Vasquez Construction, Laramie, August 2014) -- Work is ongoing to replace stairs with a ramp in the dock area north of the food court. Access to the dock area may be interrupted at times. Please use caution near crews and materials in the area.

Rochelle Athletics Center (Marshall Contracting, Laramie, Phase 1 scheduled completion August 2014) -- Work has begun to renovate the north wing of the second level. Demolition operations may cause noise in adjoining areas. Construction will mostly be contained within the northwest wing of the second level. Staging will be located on the exterior of the building’s north side. Please proceed with caution in and around this area, especially on the elevator directly adjacent to the work area.

Rochelle Athletics Center (Arcon, Inc., Laramie, scheduled completion September 2014) -- Work has begun to renovate the southeast end of the weight room to add a nutrition center and office area. Staging will be located on the exterior of the building’s west side. Please proceed with caution in and around this area.

Fieldhouse North (General contractor Elk Ridge Builders., Laramie, scheduled completion October 2014) -- Renovations are ongoing in the wrestling room, break room (047) and support spaces. Demolition operations may cause noise in adjoining areas. Construction will mostly be contained within the west end of the Fieldhouse basement. Staging will be located on the exterior of the building’s east side. Please proceed with caution in and around this area, especially on the staircase directly adjacent to the work area.

Landmark Apartments -- Painting of exterior doors is ongoing. Please use caution near painting crews and equipment.

McWhinnie Hall/Education (General contractor Elk Ridge Builders, Laramie; scheduled completion September 2014) -- Work is ongoing to enhance ADA parking and landscaping improvements north of McWhinnie Hall. The ADA spaces north of McWhinnie will not be available, and the sidewalk between McWhinnie Hall and the Education Building will be closed to pedestrian traffic for the duration of the project. Intermittent closures to the parking lot east of the Education Annex will occur throughout the summer. Pedestrian access to UniWyo Federal Credit Union will be maintained during all stages of construction. Please follow posted signage and be aware of construction activities in the area. A map of the UniWyo FCU pedestrian detour can be seen here.

Spanish Walk, River Village and Landmark Apartments -- Maintenance work will be ongoing throughout the summer in various building of the apartment complexes. Please use caution near crews and equipment.

UW Planetarium (General contractor Arcon Inc., Laramie; scheduled completion September 2014) -- Renovations are complete to bring the existing ramp into ADA compliance. Aesthetic improvements will continue through the summer in the planetarium and the adjacent elevator lobby. Infrastructure for a new digitally integrated projection system, new graphics/complete facade and all new seating will commence the first week in August. Please be aware of crews and equipment in the area.

Engineering Building (General contractor Independent Heating and Sheet Metal, Laramie; scheduled completion September 2014) -- Air management and digital control upgrades to improve building efficiency are ongoing. The hot water circulation system for building heat will be disabled and drained until the end of summer following installation of new devices. Be aware of ladders and equipment in the corridors.

Energy Innovation Center (General contractor The Plumbing Company, Laramie; scheduled completion September 2014) -- Work is ongoing to replace HVAC equipment in Room 377. Be aware of crews in the area.

General Storage Addition (General contractor Arcon Inc., Laramie; scheduled completion September 2014) -- Construction is complete. Landscaping will be ongoing, as will punch-list items. Shipping and Receiving operations will continue throughout construction. Remaining exterior site work includes drainage work on the west side of the parking/drive area, additional parking locations to the north, and construction of a “Z-wall.” Please limit traffic on Gibbon Street between 15th and 19th streets to building users only. Always use caution around the construction site and construction vehicles, and observe all posted speed limits.

Sigma Phi Epsilon -- Excavation and the replacement of replace steam and condensate lines is complete. Landscape activities will begin using the same staging area on both sides of Sorority Row, adjacent to the north side of the building. Please be cautious of equipment and vehicles in the area.

Rochelle Athletics Center (General contractor Arcon Inc., Laramie, scheduled completion July 2014) -- Work in Room 206 is complete.

 

Contact Us

Institutional Communications

Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137

Laramie

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-2929

Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu

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