The Good 5 Cent Cigar

Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Danielle Oliva A backhoe performs work outside Heathman Hall on Wednesday. The construction crew is installing a power line.

01/24/08 - Members of the University of Rhode Island returning from winter break may have noticed a roadblock in their commute across campus. Heathman Road has been intermittently closed for the construction of a $4 million substation, otherwise known as an electrical distribution center, to feed the north district of the campus.

The Center of Biotechnology and Life Sciences and the future new pharmacy building will comprise the north district of campus. The substation will be located in a clearing in the woods north of Flagg Road.

Director of Capital Projects Paul DePace said a new power line must be installed to feed the substation. The substation's power line will run above ground near Alumni Avenue and underground from Heathman Road to Flagg Road. Flagg Road will be crossed three times to feed into the substation.

Work on Flagg Road will begin during spring break and DePace said he expects the entire project to be completed in April.

Despite continuing the work on Heathman Road into the spring semester, DePace said the construction is on schedule.

"In the six or eight weeks between the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester there's not enough time to finish the construction," he said.

DePace said the road work should not interfere with students walking along Heathman Road. He added that there is no student parking in front of Heathman Road and there is plenty of room for pedestrian traffic.

"We've done considerable work over the years while school was in session. I don't expect any problems," he said.

DePace said the university is financing the project with general obligation bonds and revenue bonds associated with the Center of Biotechnology and Life Sciences and the pharmacy building.

The project's contractors are E.W. Audet for the electrical work and Site Tech, for the digging and paving work.

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