Western continues phase 2 of construction on Monmouth Avenue

Mikayla Coleman | News Editor

Phase two of construction on Monmouth Avenue is continuing efforts to fix Western’s steam line. 

There was never a plan to have a phase two for this specific project, but because of additional damage that was discovered during the first phase, they had to continue working on the line. 

Work on the steam line has taken longer than expected for a myriad of unforeseen circumstances. 

Construction was unable to begin until after graduation ceremonies commenced in 2021, even though the project was approved several months before then. The delivery of piping material and critical valves was delayed substantially, around six to eight weeks, due to supply chain issues. There were also change orders — some of the existing conditions were not fully documented in the existing drawings — which resulted in the need for more materials, different requirements and an increased project scope. 

“Construction work involving utilities services placed in the ground can be slow and unpredictable,” said Mike Elliot, project manager for Capital Planning and Construction. “Most often, the work to be performed is on systems which can be decades old and not always well documented. Because Western is 150 years old, the steam line system has been added to many times in several phases and projects. While all of the information concerning the steam system is available, it has not been collected in a single set of construction drawings. This fact has added to the complexity of completely understanding the total scope of the project.”

All the unexpected discoveries have given construction crews the opportunity to address more issues.

“One goal for the final outcome of the steam line repair project is to produce a single set of ‘as built’ drawings documenting the entire steam line system on campus,” said Elliot. “This will significantly assist the Facilities Department in the future in providing preventative maintenance of the system ensuring the longevity of the new steam line.” 

Originally due to end in Nov. 2021, the best estimate of when construction will be finished is now April 2022.

Contact the author at howlmanagingeditor@wou.edu