Two major campus construction projects - a sanitary sewer job and removal of a portion of Juniper Road - are slated to begin this week, according to a Feb. 12 University press release.
Both projects will cause minimal closures in certain areas on campus, University Vice President for Business Operations Jim Lyphout said Monday.
On Monday, Lyphout said, snow removal began on the first section of Juniper to be removed - between Notre Dame Stadium and the Joyce Center.
The road will be eliminated and replaced with a pedestrian-friendly plaza. In addition, the project will make possible improvements in sewer systems and other utilities, which will in turn allow for the planned addition and reconstruction of the Joyce Center, he said.
"The [area] will have grass, landscaping and a nice pedestrian feel," Lyphout said. "We expect to be done before the first home football game."
Throughout the project, all entrances to the Joyce Center will accessible, Lyphout said.
The second project will increase sanitary sewer capacity leading to Notre Dame Stadium, Lyphout said. Construction will begin immediately east of Breen-Phillips Hall and continue southeast toward Notre Dame Stadium.
The project was scheduled to begin this week, and Lyphout said they hope to begin construction within 10 days to two weeks as plans are finalized.
Pedestrians can expect minimal detours in the areas between Breen-Phillips Hall and the Hesburgh Library, and on the Hesburgh Library quadrangle, he said.
The sewer system expansion is necessary due to recent growth, Lyphout said.
"The sewer system has been taxed as the campus has grown," he said, noting that in the mid-1990s there was some flooding in Galvin Hall, Hesburgh Library and the IT building related to sewer use at Notre Dame Stadium. The project is intended to reduce the possibility of similar backups in the future.
They expect the project to be completed in six weeks, Lyphout said.
Both project completion dates are subject to change due to weather and other factors. Still, weather issues tend to delay construction by "only a few days," Lyphout said.
Lyphout said both projects are part of the University's "long term, master plan."
The creation of the pedestrian plaza between the Joyce Center and Notre Dame Stadium is part of the scheduled removal of Juniper Road between Edison and Douglas Roads. The removal will continue north in the coming months, leading to construction of new service routes to Hank, Galvin, Friemann and Lobund buildings and reconstruction of the Hesburgh Library circle, including additional parking near the library. Construction to remove the portion of Juniper Road between the B and C parking lots south of the Joyce Center and Notre Dame Stadium will begin in March.
