By Emma Huegi
Correspondent
Emergency construction for underground pipes that generate heat, and therefore steam, across campus has caused students to find alternate routes to their classes.
Associate Vice President of Facilities Management David McNamara explains what is happening across campus with construction and when the project will be done.
The pipes across the campus of the College needed an emergency fix because “they have not been maintained for over 30 years,” McNamara said.
Since steam is a main source of heat for buildings, this means that dormitories, classrooms and other recreational facilities would not have heat in the cold months of the winter.
“This would mean no classes,” McNamara said.
The students would not be able to reside here at TCNJ. That would be the result if this construction was not initiated. Not only is steam used for heating, but it is also used for the labs in the science buildings as well as the kitchens.
McNamara said the issues with the structure of the pipes needed to be addressed during the academic fall semester, not until the winter. Since these pipes have not been maintained, it was something that had to be fixed right away.
With the cold months approaching quickly, McNamara said “we were concerned that we wouldn’t make it through winter.”
Usually this would be a project with plenty of planning and something that would occur in the summer. Due to the circumstances, it had to be done immediately.
As of right now, TCNJ is hoping to have this project done by the middle of October, and then “continue sight work for 3-4 weeks” McNamara said.
There are about “11,000 feet of pipes,” McNamara explained.
They run throughout the whole campus so this was not a small job. Currently, there is an outside company that is working on the construction of the campus. They have manholes where they work so there is easy access to the steam lines.
Senior communications major Emily Gellis, along with many other students are finding themselves going out of their way to find other routes to classes.
“So many students are being affected by this and it’s an inconvenience for a lot of them,” said Gellis.
Senior psychology major Megan Lucas is another student being affected by the construction across campus. Lucas finds herself taking new ways to her classes.
“It blocks off many areas of campus, including the main pathway,” said Lucas.
Even though this construction may be beneficial to the college campus, it is hard for students to get around. It affects the students as well as the professors.
The pipes need to quickly be fixed before it gets cold and classrooms and dorms need heat. There are many paths blocked off in order for the construction workers to continue this project and it makes it hard for students to get to their classes. The steam generated through the pipes is a main source of heat which is crucial for any school or college.
