Gilbert Drive work
to wrap in October

by Joe King

Work to replace Gilbert Drive continues to kick up dust, with completion targeted for Oct. 1.

“Had we simply set out to replace the road this summer, we would have been done by now,” said James Bryant, director of NIU Architectural and Engineering Services, “but we are trying to accomplish several objectives at once.”

Foremost among those objectives was the installation of pipes to transport chilled water around the east campus. That work, part of a long-term plan to make campus air conditioning more economical and ecologically friendly, took until July 1 to complete.

Since then, the university has been working to replace aging infrastructure beneath the road bed.

“Our records show that that road was built about 50 years ago, and all of the water pipes, electrical ducts, drainage pipes, etc., are at least that old,” Bryant said, “so rather than put ourselves in a position where in a few years we might have to dig up a new road to replace old infrastructure, we decided to tackle all of that now.”

With that additional work came some additional delays and inconvenience, such as obtaining a permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which slowed work to a crawl in early August.

There will be more headaches in early September when the replacement of electrical duct work will spill over to College Avenue, Bryant said, meaning traffic on that street will find only one lane for about a week.

“We realize this is causing some major inconveniences for many people, but we ask for just a bit more patience,” said Bryant, who believes the end result will prove worth the wait. “When the job is done, what was once one of the worst roadways on campus will be vastly improved for years to come.”

9-2-03