The Online Reflector

Potholes aren’t the only thing to avoid on Hanna Avenue anymore. With a massive construction project now well underway, students and faculty at the University of Indianapolis have a bit more to look out for on their daily commute to campus.

Part of UIndy’s five-year strategic plan, construction on Hanna Avenue is well underway, as workers prepare to install structures for sewers at intersections.

Current construction on Hanna Avenue includes installation of structures for the sewers at intersections. Construction began on the north side and once that is complete, will switch over to the south side.

“This project started back in 1998 as a renovation project reconstructing Hanna Avenue—all the utilities, the concrete sidewalks, and everything else,” Ken Piepenbrink, physical plant director, said. “Through the years, we’ve been working on partnering with the city and the state to enhance our section of that road so that it better suits our needs as far as safety and beautification.”

Student and faculty cooperation and patience, however, are needed for swift progress to occur.

“We’ve had a lot of construction projects going on on campus,” Piepenbrink said. “Most of the time the students are pretty respectful on following directions, as long as we give them options. In general students take for granted that they can just cross Hanna Avenue any time and anywhere they want, and it’s kind of a bad habit.”

The project is expected to be done in June or July of 2011.

“They got started earlier than what they expected,” Piepenbrink said. “They were going to wait until school was out in the summer, but it’s close to a two-year project. It was going to really interfere with us more if they waited so they got started earlier on the first of the year.”

Having been in the works since the late 1990s, the renovation and reconstruction of Hanna Avenue was welcomed by many, while others were more hesitant for construction to begin.

“The city finally got its act together,” Mike Braughton, Vice President of Business and Finance and Treasurer, said.  “In order to widen the street the city had to get easements from property owners, or permission to permanently trespass on private party. Some of the landowners weren’t cooperative.  And the city had to pay for a lot of this land, and these things were negotiated back and forth for a long period of time.”

The university has already paid the city around $690,000, but could contribute up to approximately $1.2 million to the renovation of Hanna Avenue between Shelby Street and State Street.

The road will be widened and will include a 16-foot, landscaped boulevard down the middle.  Additional street lights will be added and many power lines will be re-routed around campus.