If you are recently returning to campus after time away – or even if you’re not – the changes that have occurred on the east end of the Danforth Campus are striking. The summer was devoted to removing significant amounts of earth (see: The dirt on the dirt) to make way for the east end building foundations.
As excavation comes to a close, here’s what to expect in the coming months:
- A shift in shifts. To help ensure completion by Commencement 2019, crews will continue to work six days a week. Moving into the foundation work after Labor Day, construction will generally occur in one shift from 7:00am to 5:30pm, rather than the two shifts we ran this summer.
- Concrete mixing trucks. Excavation involved removing material from the site, and large numbers of trucks cycled in and out of the east end taking dirt away. In the months ahead, while traffic patterns and vehicle types will change, the area will continue to experience a high volume of truck traffic. Concrete mixing trucks will replace flatbed dump trucks as the most commonly seen vehicle on site as foundations are poured.
- Connecting tunnel. Later this semester, work will begin on the excavation of the tunnel that will connect Jubel Hall to Brauer Hall at the School of Engineering. This work, which is projected to start at the end of October, will be loud and impactful, at times, and will necessitate detours for foot traffic to Whitaker Hall from Skinker Boulevard. More information will be forthcoming.
Throughout the fall, the shapes of the new buildings will begin to take form. You can track the progress in real time through the Campus Next webcams. And be on the lookout for frequent updates from @WashUcampusnext on Twitter.
