Throughout the summer, construction workers have been updating and repairing UNC's infrastructure.
The Pit and South Road have been undergoing construction this summer for renovations such as replanting new trees and smoothing over pavement to prevent walking hazards.
The Pit's construction is part of a project that started last summer and costs $2.3 million, but the costs are necessary to create more spacious and smooth pathways, said Anna Wu, associate vice chancellor for facilities services.
“The lower level of the Pit, the ramp into that was not compliant. So we wanted to make access to the lower level of the Pit meet the current (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements and make that accessible to all of our students and to those who have mobility impairments,” Wu said.
Wu said she believed it was important to collaborate with the Carolina Union, Student Stores, the House Undergraduate Library and Lenoir Dining Hall to help organize the construction sites around those areas while they are open.
The work being done around the Pit does not seem to have a serious impact on some students’ daily routines. Philosophy Ph.D. graduate student Eric Sampson said he doesn’t mind the work being done.
“It's mildly annoying, but I understand why they are doing it and I just saw them laying down brand new brick and it looks really good,” Sampson said. "I'm glad they're doing it during the summer rather than when more people are here. It's a mild nuisance, but it's nothing terrible.”
The work being done on South Road, managed by the UNC Facilities Services, is a more complicated construction site. Keith Snead, the construction manager for the South Road project, said the pipelines from South Road to Wilson Library are outdated and are undergoing repairs.
"All this work is 10 to 15 feet below the surface," Snead said. "Anything steam-related has to do with heating, so you typically want to address any steam deficiencies during the cooling season, so that is what we are doing."
