First phase of Beall Ave. work to reach south end of campus next week

Trenching for utility lines will begin during spring break

Beginning Monday, March 10, preliminary work for the Beall Avenue Streetscape project will touch The College of Wooster campus for the first time. Contractors will dig trenches for new underground telephone, electrical, and cable television lines, starting on the east side of Beall Ave., just north of Holden Hall, and heading south. New conduit will also be laid up the west side of the avenue from the Gault Family Learning Center to Pine St., then west on Pine to a point just opposite the Shack, where they will tie in to existing telephone and electric lines.

On both sides of the street, the trenching will take place inboard of the sidewalks, on college property. There will be no excavation of the right of way during this phase, though some slowing of traffic on Beall Ave. can be expected as construction equipment and vehicles move along the avenue.

This piece of the project has been scheduled so that work on the busiest part of campus, near Holden, can be completed during spring break. In all this phase should take approximately two and a half months to complete. The college has provided the city and contractors with a list of critical dates, including I.S. Monday, the presidential inauguration, and commencement, during which no work will be performed within the campus area.

The Beall Ave. project is a partnership among the City of Wooster, Main Street Wooster, and The College of Wooster. The project includes EPA-mandated upgrades to all water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer lines; relocation of above ground utility lines underground; new lighting and paving; and the addition of a bike lane. In the campus area, the existing center turn lane will be replaced with a landscaped, tree-lined median, which together with new signage and distinctive crosswalk paving will help better define the boundaries of the campus.

The College of Wooster is an independent liberal arts college, nationally recognized for an innovative curriculum that emphasizes mentored independent research. Each Wooster senior works one-on-one with a faculty adviser to create an original research project, written work, performance or art exhibit. Founded in 1866, the college enrolls approximately 1,800 students.

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