Road connecting East Campus Drive to Mission Street approved by trustees, designed to ease traffic
The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees approved construction of a connector street that will connect East Campus Drive and Mission Street at Thursday's meeting.
The road is designed to ease traffic congestion on the road, which often moves at a frustratingly slow pace during the fall and spring semesters.
In order to build the street, the city of Mount Pleasant requires that an easement be built on campus that is 200 feet long by 50 feet wide.
"With this easement, the city can provide greater access to Mission Street via campus," Associate Vice President of Facilities Management Stephen Lawrence said. "And it can provide additional access to to drivers to avoid Mission Street during busy traffic times."
The board also approved a proposal for $5.37 million from the university reserves fund to contract for the planning, design and construction of an electric utility loop on east campus.
The line is intended to improve system reliability and to meet both current and future demands, as well as provide back-up redundancy for the campus's steam line. It will consist of about 1,330 feet of 8-inch-wide condensate lines and 16-inch steam lines. The 8-inch condensate lines will replace 225 feet of 4-inch lines.
"This will allow us to have two ways to feed the campus," Lawrence said. "Right now, we only have one way to feed 95-percent of campus."
He said the project is planned to be completed by next year.
Another item approved by the board was the publication of a new campus map, to account for changing parking needs as the College of Medicine opens. The map will be offered at the size of a credit card and will be complete with adjusted traffic ordinances.
