Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 17., weather permitting, the crosswalks at the corner of Baker and Herring Halls are scheduled to be painted.  The Alumni Drive will be partially blocked as work is completed.  Safety cones will be positioned around the work area while the work is in progress.

Any questions or concerns related to this work should be directed to David Garcia (x3314 dg11@rice.edu)

Beginning Friday, Nov. 13, a landscaping contractor will be on campus to install a temporary crushed-granite sidewalk near Lovett and Herzstein Halls off of Lab Road near the inner-loop.

This work will include the removal of some dirt and placement of steel edging and crushed granite. The project is scheduled to be completed within the same day and work is scheduled to being at 8:00 am. Pedestrians are encouraged to walk west in front of Duncan Hall and access the Academic Quad by way of the hard-surface sidewalks west of Herzstein Hall. The grassy quadrant north of Lovett Hall will be fenced off to foot traffic while work is taking place.

If you have specific questions about this scheduled activity, please contact Max Amery (x5350 or maxamery@rice.edu)

Beginning early Saturday Nov. 7, an asphalt contractor will close the bus loop roadway located on the west side of West Lot 2 up to the Lab Road extension in the Stadium Lot.  This will include Entrance 18 south to the turn off roadway north of West Lot 2.  This closure is necessary to repair sections of failed roadway. These areas will remain closed until 4:00 PM on Monday Nov. 9.

West Lots 2 & 3 will still be open for parking, but access to West Lot 2 will only be from the east side and on only from the west side for West Lot 3. On Saturday Nov. 7, parking along the bus loop roadway is discourage in order to avoid getting extremem amounts of dust on your car.

If you have any questions on this work, please contact Max Amery at 713-348-5350.

The sidewalk along College Way just north of Baker College will be closed until the brick work is complete at the new Baker College Wing. The construction fence will be extended on Tuesday, Nov. 3. and signage will be placed directing pedestrians to alternate routes. Access to the bus stop and blue light phone near the Humanities Building will not be impacted.

Contact Larry Vossler (vossler@rice.edu or x2988) if you have specific questions about this work.

Contractors will be on campus on Sunday, Oct. 18. to make repairs to various pavers in the Ley Courtyard and at the east entrance of the building. The area in which repairs are being made will be barricaded to pedestrian traffic and the east entry will be closed until work completes. The area and entry will reopen the same day no later than 12:00 pm.

On Tuesday, Oct. 13. an asphalt contractor will repair several sections of the pavement near Bus Shelter “C” in the stadium bus loop area. The road will remain open to traffic during this repair and a flag person will be present to direct traffic around the work areas, cones and barricades. There may be occasional slowdowns to the traffic flow when the contractor maneuvers equipment around the repair areas. The work will be completed the same day, weather permitting.

If you have any questions, please contact Max Amery at 713-348-5350.

Beginning Friday, Oct. 9. work is scheduled to begin on a small section of Alumni Drive at College Way that had to be taken up by the City of Houston for repairs to a water line. The work will require concrete placement and a twenty four (24) hour cure-time, followed by asphalt placement. The contractor will barricade work areas and have flag men maintaining safe traffic flow during the work. This work is scheduled to be completed by Monday, Oct. 12. weather permitting. The roadway will be re-opened to normal traffic Tuesday, Oct. 13. During these four days left turns from College Way to Alumni Drive will not be permitted. Traffic from Alumni Drive south of College Way will be directed east on College Way.

Please direct your question and concerns to Max Amery at x5350.

A contractor will arrive on Wednesday, Oct 7 and begin repair to various damaged areas of sidewalks on campus. This work will be noisy at times and will require one contractor vehicle to be staged along College Way. The effected sidewalks will be barricaded preventing pedestrian use.  The sidewalks to be reapaired are the two eastern sidewalks leading to Allen Center from College Way, the east side of Lovett Hall, the east side of Anderson Hall, the southwest corner of Biology and the northwest side of Biology.  Work will be complete and all sidewalks reopened on Friday, Oct 9.

The Rice Memorial Center east-entry (at the Ray Courtyard) will be closed this Saturday, Sept. 19. from 7:00 am-3:00 pm while Zenith Construction and Veazey Construction make repairs to the newly installed landing and ramp. The entrance will be re-opened on Sunday, Sept. 20.

On Wednesday, Sept. 16. in between 9 am and 12 pm, a drilling rig will be brought to the physics project construction site. This will block Entrance 21 between the parking lot and Campanile Road allowing the contractor to off-load the drilling rig from the trailer. The entrance to the parking lot will remain open. A brief five to ten minute interruption to traffic along Campanile will occur as the drilling rig is driven onto the construction site. The total operation from start to finish is not expected to last more than one hour. Once the rig is onsite, the trailer will stage in the stadium parking lot.

In between 2 pm and 5 pm, the operation will be reversed as the rig leaves the site. Again, a brief interruption to traffic along Campanile Road at the site entry will take place as the rig loads to the trailer. The contractor will have additional flag persons on site to assist and direct traffic as necessary.

On Thursday, Sept. 17. in between 9 am and 12 pm, an additional construction trailer will be brought to the site. A brief five to 10 minute interruption to traffic along Campanile Road should be expected while the trailer is negotiated onto the site. Additional flag persons will be on site to assist with traffic during this time.

If you have specific concerns or questions, please contact me directly (construction@rice.edu or x3793).

Please be advised that beginning this Tuesday, Sept. 15. Concrete Raising Corp. will be on campus to raise and leveling many of the settled or displaced sidewalks. Work will begin Tuesday morning and is expected to complete that evening. Impacted areas are sidewalks near the Mechanical Engineering Building, Mudd Lab, Del Butcher Hall, Abercrombie Lab, Duncan Hall, Fondren Library, Allen Center, Alice Pratt Brown Hall, Tudor Field House and Sewall Hall. Moderate to loud noise levels should be expected with this work as it takes place.

If you have specific questions or concerns about this scheduled activity, please feel free to contact Ma Amery (x5350 mamery@rice.edu).

The City of Houston acted quickly last week to repair a broken water line at the corner of College Way and Alumni Drive (across from the Baker Institute). Contractors will arrive this afternoon to begin making repairs to the sidewalk and ramp in that area. Portions of the sidewalk will be barricaded as work is taking place. Work is expected to complete on Tuesday, Sept. 15. in the afternoon. Repairs to the street are pending and a campus notification will be sent out once a time has been agreed to.

Please contact Max Amery (x5350 mamery@rice.edu) if you have specific questions or concerns about this scheduled activity.

The City of Houston is working a quickly and diligently as possible to fix the rather large water leak at the corner of Alumni Drive and College Way. Unfortunately this has required another road closure of Alumni Drive in between College Way and Lab Road (the inner loop). The city has crews working as swiftly as possible to complete this work and anticipates finishing this evening. The roadway will reopen at that time.

The two-way road that runs east to west in between College Way and Lab Road directly in front of Alice Brown Hall will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 9, as the City of Houston works quickly to fix the water leak on campus. The roadway will be barricaded at both ends and is expected to reopen to traffic by Thursday, Sept. 10.

Some emergency sidewalk closures at the following locations are scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9. beginning at 8:00 am. These closures are necessary to allow the City of Houston to repair a significant water leak on campus at the corner of College Way and Alumni Drive along the inner loop road. The locations are as follows:

· A small section of the sidewalk near Alice Pratt Brown on the east-side of the building closest to the entrance that faces Baker and McNair Halls

· A small section of sidewalk that runs east to west on the north-side at Hanszen College near the 20’s

· A small section of sidewalk that runs north to south connecting Hanszen College to the inner loop road

These areas will be barricaded and coned off while work is taking place. A plywood path will be available for use in these areas to allow pedestrians to continue to use the area. The City of Houston anticipates work completing before the end of the same day. If you have specific questions or concerns about these emergency closures, please contact Hugh Ton-That (hugo@rice.edu x5341).

On Friday, Sept.4. a small portion of roadway on the southern-side of campus Entrance 9 will be closed for the construction of a new parking access control island. The entrance will be closed the entire duration of the project which is expected to complete by Friday, Sept.18.

West Lot 5 will be restricted to one entry point only behind the Rice Police building nearest the Post Office. Access to the South Stadium Parking Lot will be by way of the east entrance from University Blvd. for vehicles. Access to the athletic facilities for pedestrians, bicycles and carts will be unaffected.

If you have specific questions or concerns about this project, please contact Max Amery (832-347-5377). Parking related issues should be directed to Mike Morgan (x2021).

Additional repair work is necessary in the Ray Courtyard on Wednesday, Aug. 26. A small portion of the brick wall in the landscaped area just west of the new ramp will be rebuilt.  This activity will not create any loud noises and will not block access or egress pathways. Work is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm and will be complete by 6:00 pm.

The sidewalk north of Baker College between the Masters’ House driveway and the ramp opposite the Humanities Building will be closed beginning Wednesday, Aug 19. The construction fence will be extended to enclose the sidewalk as important utility connections are made for the South Colleges Renovations and Additions project. The sidewalk will reopen for use on Saturday, Aug 22.

Please be advised that this Saturday, Aug. 8.  the tower crane for the Brockman Hall for Physics project is scheduled to arrive. At 6:00 am trucks will arrive along with a 250 and 150-cranes to assist in the complex assembly process. The cranes will require three trucks carrying counterweights. Each truck will require approximately 30 to 45 minutes for unloading. During unloading a single lane of Campanile near Entrance 21 will be blocked with a flag person staged to aid with traffic. After unloading, these support trucks will stage near Entrance 17 for the duration of the tower crane assembly.

The tower crane will arrive on ten separate trucks also requiring 30 to 45 minutes to unload. During unloading a single lane of Campanile will be blocked. At the time of each piece being lifted off the truck, traffic will be stopped for a few minutes – flag persons will be present.

When the tower jigs are lifted into place for assembly, they will likely project out of the site and over the courtyard between Mudd Lab and Herman Brown. There will be flagmen in the courtyard to reroute pedestrian traffic, when necessary, while the crane is bolted together. Once the tower crane is assembled the three support trucks will return from Entrance 17 to remove the crane counterweights and the cranes will depart.

Total elapsed time from truck arrival to the final truck departure is estimated to be ten hours. If inclement weather is a factor or any other unforeseen issues arise, work will stop at a safe point and crews will return for completion on Sunday, Aug. 9.

Please direct any questions or concerns to Erik Knezevich (knez@rice.edu or x6369).

Beginning Saturday, Aug. 8. work on the perimeter decomposed granite pathway around the university is scheduled to begin. This work consists of replenishing areas that have suffered from erosion. The contractor will place thirty-gallon containers along the sidewalk while crews spread and compact the material. Workers have been instructed to keep the sidewalk open and to provide a pathway allowing pedestrians to pass. Work is scheduled to complete on Sunday, Aug. 9.

Any questions or concerns about this scheduled activity should be directed towards Max Amery (x5350).

On Monday Aug. 10. a pier drilling rig will arrive for the South Colleges job site.  The truck will enter the campus from University Blvd. through Gate 8 and will enter the job site on campus from College Way - near the Baker Masters'  House. The truck will exit campus later on the same day using Entrance 2 to Main St.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 3 at 12:00 PM, a portion of the decomposed granite sidewalk located along the southwest side of the Duncan and McMurtry colleges job site will be closed to allow for the relocation of several crepe myrtle trees.  The sidewalk will remain closed through Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Demolition on the 55’ wing of Baker College is scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 3. The building section will be demolished by the end of the week. No utilities will be affected; however, intermittent loud noise levels should be expected. The contractor will control dust in the area. If you have specific questions about this scheduled activity, please contact Larry Vossler (x2988 or Vossler@rice.edu).

A large 275-ton crane and three support trucks, carrying counterbalance weights, will arrive on campus at 6:00 am on Friday, Jul. 31. at the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center construction site. The crane is necessary to relocate a large oak tree on-site. The crane will enter through Entrance 20 from Rice Blvd. while the support trucks are staged near Entrance 17. Once the crane is in place, the support trucks will deliver the weights one at time to the site via Alumni Drive. This work is expected to complete by 12:00 pm and the trucks and crane will exit the campus using Entrance 20. RUPD will be on hand to escort the crane and trucks. There will be flagmen present to help direct and maintain traffic flow.

If you have questions or concerns about this scheduled activity, please contact Joe Buchanan (x6373 or jwbuch@rice.edu).

Loop Road in front of Lovett Hall will be closed to thru trafficJul. 29. at 6:00 pm for approximately two hours. This brief closure will allow equipment to be placed to facilitate the removal of the temporary air conditioning unit, port-a-potty and fence currently staged near the Brochstein Plaza. Minimal disruption to traffic flow is expected as all traffic will be directed around Founder’s Court.

Please contact Richard Stearman (redfish@rice.edu or x5920) if you have specific questions about this activity.

Sidewalk work is a scheduled activity for the Recreation and Wellness Center site today, Jul. 29. Work will begin at 10:00 am as a large flatbed-tractor-truck is unloaded along Laboratory Road in between the construction site and McNair Hall. Traffic flow is not expected to be impacted as flagmen will be present to direct traffic as necessary.

Beginning Jul. 28. the east entrance to the Ley Student Center from the Ray Courtyard will be closed as improvements and repairs are made to courtyard steps and building entrance. Work areas will be barricaded during the entire project which is expected to complete before Aug. 13. Please enter the building using the front doors off of Laboratory Road, through the Brown Courtyard, or through the west entrance off of Alumni Drive. If you have specific questions about this scheduled activity, please contact Tina Hicks (tinah@rice.edu or x4296).

A large 18-wheeler will be on campus Wednesday, Jul. 22. on College Way near Sewall Hall and Allen Center at 5:30 am. The truck will be staged on the road as scaffolding is loaded onto the truck from the loading dock. The truck should be completely loaded and off the campus before 7:00 am. Disruption to traffic flow is not expected as flag men will be present.

The sidewalk between the Baker Masters’ House driveway and the accessible ramp near the bus stop in front of the Humanities building will be closed beginning Friday, Jul. 24. The closure is necessary to prepare. The accessible ramp will remain open and the sidewalk to the east (towards Allen Center) will be open. Access to the blue-light phone in this area will not be affected. This work will complete by Wednesday, Aug. 5.

For more information about the South Colleges Renovations and Additions project, please visit: www.rice.edu/scol

This Thursday, Jul. 23. the jobsite trailers will be removed from the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center site. The removal will begin at approximately 5:30 am on to Alumni Drive (in front of the Anderson Biology building) and will then turn right on Laboratory Road (near McNair Hall). Alumni Drive will be closed in that are in both directions for approximately 30 minutes. Rice Police will be onsite for the brief road closure and to maintain traffic flow along Laboratory Road as the trailers are removed. The trailers will exit the campus using Entrance 17 at Shepherd Boulevard. The entire operation should be complete by 6:30 am.

For more information about the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center, please visit: www.rice.edu/gibbswellcenter

Sidewalks are scheduled to be poured at the new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center this morning along Lab Road in between McNair Hall and the project site. This will require a concrete truck to be staged on Lab Road. Traffic in that area is not expected to be impacted as flag men will be present to direct traffic.

Please contact Joe Buchanan (x6373) if you have specific questions about this activity.

A water leak has been identified in center crushed granite pathway of the John and Anne Grove near Sid Richardson and Hanszen Colleges. Barricades have been placed in the area around the leak while this repair is being completed. Pedestrians will still be able to utilize this area on the adjacent sidewalks. The work is expected to be completed by Wednesday, Jul. 22.

Please contact the Facilities Service Center (x2485) if you have questions about this work.

On Friday, Jul. 17. the palm trees for the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center will arrive.  The trees will arrive on a flat bed truck through Entrance 20. The truck will park on Alumni Drive in between the job-site and the Anderson Biology building to unload the trees.  The unloading process will take about an hour and will block one lane of traffic on Alumni Drive.  Flagmen will be present to make sure traffic flows smoothly.

We appreciate your patience as the project team works diligently to complete this work quickly in an effort to minimize disruption to campus life.

The crosswalks located at the northeast corner of Alumni Drive and the southwest corner of Laboratory Road have been restricted.   This is necessary in order to prepare the area around the new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center for the new sidewalk installations.  This area will remain closed until further notice.

The sidewalk located between the new Baker College east-wing and Lovett College was closed as of Tuesday, June 23. The sidewalk will remain closed until July 31 to allow for underground utility work to take place. Perimeter fencing will be present while this excavation is taking place.

Over the past two weeks the campus has experienced several large water leaks. These leaks are attributed to extreme weather; specifically the drought-like conditions over the past few weeks have caused the earth to shift affecting the underground utilities. The Facilities, Engineering and Planning department appreciates your patience as our employees work collaboratively with the City of Houston to correct these issues, in our lines and city lines, as quickly and as efficiently as possible. It is common after a waterline repair for sediment to remain in the line. This will dissipate as the line is utilized. Please be aware that if drought conditions continue, or if the climate drastically changes and it begins to rain, similar effects on the underground utilities will continue.

We would ask for help to report water leaks if they are seen on campus to the Facilities Service Center (fsc@rice.edu or x2485). To report energy waste on campus, please email energywaste@rice.edu.

As part of the South Colleges project there are two new manholes that will be installed in College Way and on a sidewalk in-between Baker College and the Humanities building. Installation will begin on Tuesday, Jul. 14. and is not expected to last more than two weeks. This work will require a small portion of the construction fence to be extended into College Way. A flag person will be on hand to ensure traffic flow continues to run normally.

Please contact Larry Vossler (x2988 or vossler@rice.edu) if you have specific questions about this planned activity. To view project progress and webcam updates, please visit: www.rice.edu/scol

Several new sidewalks at the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center are scheduled to be poured on Thursday, Jul. 9. beginning a 11:00 am. All work will take place inside the construction fence where pump-truck will be staged to pour 50 yards. On Friday, Jul. 10. another 30 yards will be poured beginning at 6:00 am. No interruption to traffic along Alumni Drive is expected, however, flag-persons will be staged appropriately.

A delivery of a new air-handling unit will be made on Wednesday, Jul. 8 and on Thursday, Jul. 9 for Lovett Hall. The unit is extremely large and will be delivered in several large pieces. A truck is scheduled to arrive at 5:00 am on Wednesday and Thursday mornings and will pull into the turn-in lane in front of Lovett Hall. The unit will be off-loaded each day from 5:00 am – 7:00 am in an effort to minimize any traffic disruptions.

Please contact Richard Stearman (x5920) if you have any questions or concerns about this scheduled activity.

Beginning Tuesday, Jul. 8 the Brochstein Plaza will be closed for renovation. The renovation work consists of removing of several stone pavers, replacement of several face and cap stones and joint re-grouting and cleaning. There will be equipment staging nearby in the grassy area near the plaza. Moderate noise and dust during the grout joint removal should be expected. The area will be barricaded and pedestrians are advised to use alternate routes to and from the Lovett Hall and Sewall Hall cloisters leading to the plaza. Work is scheduled to complete the first week of August.

Contact Max Amery if you have questions or concerns about this work (x5350).

A drilling rig will be brought to the Physics site on Thursday, Jul. 2. The delivery truck is unable to negotiate the turns into the project site requiring then that they bring their flatbed trailer into campus using Entrance 21 and off-load equipment between Entrance 21 and Campanile Drive. This will require blocking two lanes of traffic near Entrance 21 drive from the southern edge of the North Parking Lot entrance up to the stop sign at Campanile Drive. The drive will be blocked for approximately two hours – from 10 am to 12 pm. Entrance 20 will be used for construction traffic during this time. The drill rig and equipment are scheduled to start arriving at 10am.

The contractor will maintain normal traffic flow along Campanile Drive. Two additional flagmen will be provided for the specific off-loading of equipment, two more will be positioned at Entrance 20 and Campanile Drive to direct construction traffic and two will remain stationed at Entrance 21 to assist with traffic flow and direct incoming traffic appropriately.

Sections of a 100-ton crane are scheduled to arrive in between 7:00 am and 9:30 am Wednesday, July 1, that will service the Will Rice area of the South Colleges project. The trucks carrying the crane sections will enter through Gate 4 and will take an immediate right toward the job site. Traffic should not be impacted, but there might be a momentary delay from large trucks making wide turns.

Beginning Monday June 29, the Brockman Hall for Physics construction site will be putting up a temporary construction fence around the grassy area located to the east of George R. Brown and south of Hermann Brown.  This work is necessary to install a new sewer line.  The fencing will be around the area for 2 weeks.

The shotcrete for the competition pool walls will be poured beginning Monday June 29 at 8:00 PM. This will require 4 shotcrete trucks on site. The concrete trucks will be brought in gate 20 and exit through gate 17. Flagmen will be stationed at each gate on site. In order for this to process smoothly, gates 17 and 20 will remain open overnight. The pour will be about 320 yards and should finish by 10:00 AM Tuesday morning.

On Saturday June 27, one truck will be delivering wood floors for the new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation Center. The truck will enter in gate 20 and turn onto Laboratory Road. The truck will be staged in one lane of Laboratory Road to be unloaded. Flagmen will be present and one lane of traffic will be open at all times.

On Monday the June 29 gate 5 will be closed to allow for concrete to be poured for the new path to the BioScience Research Collaborative.  The gate will reopen on Tuesday June 30.

Beginning Saturday June 27, gate 23 will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic.  This gate closure is necessary for repaving of the road from Rice Blvd to Campanile Road.  Accommodations have been made to allow access to the Martel Master's driveway.  The gate will reopen for all traffic on Wednesday July 8.

A portion of the south bound lane of Alumni Drive between Laboratory Road and College Way was closed on June 24. The lane closure was necessary in order to repair a leak in the chill water line. The repair also required closing the sidewalk on the east side of the Baker Institute parallel with Alumni Drive. The leak has been repaired, but the south bound lane of Alumni Drive and the sidewalk will continue to be closed until 12:00 June 25 in order for the site to be cleaned.  Flagmen will be present to ensure that traffic continues to flow through the area.

Beginning at 9:00 AM Wed June 24, a portion of the south bound lane of Alumni Drive between Laboratory Road and College Way will be closed. This lane closure is necessary in order to repair a leak in the chill water line. The repair will also require closing the sidewalk on the east side of the Baker Institute parallel with Alumni Drive. Work will take place all day on Wed. A flagman will be present to ensure that traffic continues to flow through the area.

The contractor will be on site Tuesday June 23 in order to repair Lab Road in front of George R Brown Hall. The contractor will haul materials to the site for unloading, which will result in intermittent traffic delays. Lab Road will continue to be open to traffic with a flagman present.  The contractor should be working for at the site for three days.

The sidewalk located between the New Baker East Wing and the Lovett College will be closed beginning Tuesday, June 23.  The sidewalk will remain closed until July 18 to allow for underground utility work to take place.  Perimeter fencing will be installed while this excavation is taking place. 

The Linbeck trailers located on the Duncan and McMurty Colleges job site will be moved out beginning Monday, June 22 and continuing on through Friday, June 26. There will be times when Gate 23 will not be accessible on these days while the trailers are being moved out. A flagman will be present to assist with the traffic on Rice Blvd.

Beginning Friday June 26 at 7:00 PM, all northbound lanes of Main Street from University Boulevard to North MacGregor will be closed. The lanes will be closed until Monday, June 29 at 5:00 AM. The closure is required for the removal of a tower crane from The Methodist Hospital Outpatient Care Center. Traffic will be redirected to Fannin Street at University Boulevard.

The contractor will provide signage prior to the closure and will have police officers stationed at the intersection of University Boulevard and Main Street and at the intersection of Fannin Street and University Boulevard to assist with traffic control and pedestrian crossings. Access to all buildings on Main Street will remain open.

For further information or assistance, please contact Texas Medical Center Security at (713)795-0000. 

Roof panels for the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center will be delivered on Tues June 23. The truck will enter campus through gate 20 on Alumni Drive and turn on to Laboratory Road. The truck will remain on Laboratory Road while the materials are unloaded. One lane will be blocked and a flagman will be present to assist with traffic. The offloading process should take about 30 minutes.

A delivery of the wood floors for the new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center is scheduled for Wed, June 24 and Thurs, June 25. The truck will be staged at gate 17 both days. In order to off load the equipment, the truck will be backed down Laboratory Road with the assistance of the Rice Police Department and flagmen. While off loading this truck from the road one lane of Laboratory Road will remain open and a flagman will be present at all time.

Beginning Monday, June 22 the replacement of four roofs over Alice Pratt Brown Hall will begin, starting with the roof over the Concert Hall.  The contractor will be staged in front of the Concert Hall. The work will be moderately noisy and dusty for approximtely two weeks while the existing old gravel roof is being removed. Placement of the new roof will be moderately odorous; however the contractor will use equipment to minimize odors. Material delivery will be routed through Entrance 18.

Updates will be provided as the project progresses to adjacent roofs. The plan is to complete as many roofs as we can over the next six weeks. The roof placement will be completely out of the area by Aug 10.

If you have safety issues or concerns, please contact Rice Police at 713-348-6000.

Due to a leak in the water line on the west side of the Lab Road (behind the RMC), a portion of the sidewalk in this area is closed. This will also include the section of sidewalk that leads to the Brochstein Pavilion from Lab Road. These sidewalks will remain closed until the leak is repaired.

A drilling rig will be brought to the Physics site on Monday, Jun. 15. The delivery truck is unable to negotiate the turns into the project site requiring then that they bring their flatbed trailer into campus using Entrance 21 and off-load equipment between Entrance 21 and Campanile Drive. This will require blocking two lanes of traffic near Entrance 21 drive from the southern edge of the North Parking Lot entrance up to the stop sign at Campanile Drive. The drive will be blocked for approximately two hours – from 10 am to 12 pm. Entrance 20 will be used for construction traffic during this time. The drill rig and equipment are scheduled to start arriving at 10am.

The contractor will maintain normal traffic flow along Campanile Drive. Two additional flagmen will be provided for the specific off-loading of equipment, two more will be positioned at Entrance 20 and Campanile Drive to direct construction traffic and two will remain stationed at Entrance 21 to assist with traffic flow and direct incoming traffic appropriately. 

Campus entrance 3 at Main Street and N. MacGregor Drive will be closed to all traffic, except construction vehicles, beginning Monday, June 15th. Pedestrian traffic in that area will not be affected. If you normally access the campus using this Entrance, please plan to use Entrance 4 to Alumni Drive or by Entrance 1 or 2 off of Main Street to Founder’s Court. If you park in the Lovett Parking Lot please be aware that parking gate number 2, behind Allen Center will be closed for the duration of the project. All the other parking gates to Lovett Lot will be accessible.

If you have specific questions related to parking, please contact Mike Morgan (x2021 or mikeymo@rice.edu ). If you have construction questions or concerns, contact Larry Vossler (x2988 or vossler@rice.edu).

You can see the most recent photos and project information by visiting: www.rice.edu/scol . If you’d like to view the project Web-cam, please visit: http://dyer.rice.edu/WillRice/index.html

A small crane will arrive on campus tomorrow at 7:00 am to unload steel at the loading dock of Sewall Hall. Activities are not scheduled to take more than one hour.

The South Colleges Renovations and Additions project has begun and is well underway. Demolition is taking place now at Baker and Will Rice Colleges. The project is scheduled for completion August 2010. During this fast-paced project, construction traffic will enter the campus at Entrance 3, Main Street at N. MacGregor Drive. For safety reasons, this entrance will be closed to all traffic, except construction vehicles, beginning Monday, Jun. 15. Pedestrian traffic in that area will not be affected.

If you normally access the campus using this Entrance, please plan to use Entrance 4 to Alumni Drive or by Entrance 1 or 2 off of Main Street to Founder’s Court. If you park in the Lovett Parking Lot please be aware that parking gate number 2, behind Allen Center (shown on map), will be closed for the duration of the project. All the other parking gates to Lovett Lot will be accessible.

If you have specific questions related to parking, please contact Mike Morgan (x2021 or mikeymo@rice.edu ). If you have construction questions or concerns, contact Larry Vossler (x2988 or vossler@rice.edu).

Texas Medical Center will be replacing the exterior cladding of the façade of Garage 1 with Glass Fiber Reinforced Panels.  Garage 1 (corner of Fannin Street and Dryden Road) roof level will be blocked off from Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31. An additional 30 parking spaces throughout the garage will also be blocked off throughout the duration of the project.

The contractor will install Class A Barricading, signage, and have flagmen on site to direct pedestrian and vehicle traffic. All work will be performed between the hours of 7:00 pm and 7:00 am.

For further information or assistance, please contact Texas Medical Center Security at 713-795-0000.

One lane of Dryden Street will be closed on Saturday, May 23 beginning at 6:00 am. The street will be closed as a large crane is assembled to complete work at the BioScience Research Collaborate. Work is expected to finish by 6:00 pm and a uniformed Houston Police Officer will be on site to direct traffic as needed.

A large 60-ton crane is scheduled to arrive on campus Friday, May 22 at 7:00 am. The crane will be parked on Campanile Drive near the cooling towers of the Central Plant and is expected to be onsite for three hours while a fan motor is placed on the north cooling tower.

Traffic disruption is expected to be minimal; however, if possible, driving in this area should be avoid during this time.

Please direct your questions and/or concerns to Carl Riedel at x5142.

There will be a brief closure of Entrance 23 off Rice Blvd. tomorrow, Thursday, May 21 to complete construction activities related to the North Colleges site. The entrance will only be closed from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Traffic delays are not expected as Entrances 20, 21 and Campanile Drive will be accessible to traffic.

Contact Susann Glenn (smglenn@rice.edu or x3793) if you have questions about this notice.

A crane will be set up on Bertner Avenue north of Bates Street on May 16 from 4:00 AM until 4:00 PM and on May 21 from 9:00 PM until 3:00 AM to install a new Gamma Knife machine and associated equipment at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The two northbound lanes of Bertner Avenue and one southbound lane of Bertner Avenue north of Bates Street to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s Radiation Oncology Drive will be closed to traffic. One southbound lane of Bertner Avenue will remain open for all traffic going north or south. University of Texas Police will allow traffic to travel in both directions alternatively during the Gamma Knife lift.

University of Texas Police will be on site to assist with traffic control and pedestrian safety. Vaughn Construction, the contractor, will install the proper signage for traffic flow changes. Access to all buildings on Bertner will remain open. 

For further information or assistance, please contact Texas Medical Center Security (713) 795-0000.

Beginning Tuesday, May 26 work will commence at the Brochstein Plaza (across from Cohen House) to remove several displaced and damaged stone copings and pavers. This will allow an exploratory review of tree root growth under and behind the concrete surfaces that are covered with limestone. The contractor will cut the mortar joint for stone removal using a grinder that will result in moderate noise and some dust in the direct vicinity of the work area. The contractor has a vacuum cleaner attached to the grinder which is expected to catch most of the dust. The work is expected to be complete by Friday, May 29.

Please contact Max Amery (maxamery@rice.edu or x 5350) if you have questions or concerns about this scheduled activity.

The jobsite trailers for the South Colleges renovations and additions project will be delivered to the campus beginning next Monday, May 18. The trailers will arrive between 9:00 am – 10:00 am and enter the campus through Gate 4 and will be guided through the parking area behind Sid Richardson College. The 70’ trailers will be maneuvered into the construction area behind Will Rice College and a total of three (3) trailers will be located on the site. Work begins on Monday, May 18 and will continue through Wednesday, May 20.

For parking questions, please contact the Rice Parking department x 2020. For construction related question, please contact Larry Vossler (Vossler@rice.edu or x2988).

Please be aware that a large 18-wheeler will be parked today, Friday, May 15, on College Way near the entrance to the ‘John and Anne’ Grove. An older chilled-water valve was severely damaged during yesterday’s planned outage and this vehicle is being staged in that area to provide emergency chilled-water support to the south colleges area while a new valve is installed. The truck is expected to leave the campus before 5:00 pm today.

Please contact Gil Cepillo (x5488)in the Central Plant if you have any questions about this emergency work.

GraphTec Inc., a signage contractor, will be on site beginning Thursday, May 14 through Monday, May 18 to install new stop signs at various street intersections and driveway locations on campus. Traffic interruptions or delays related to this work are not anticipated.

If you have specific questions or concerns about this scheduled activity, please contact Maxwell Price (mlprice@rice.edu or x6269).

The bicycle racks in front of Duncan Hall are scheduled to be relocated as part of the North Colleges construction project. The racks will be relocated as the walkway is extended through to the space the racks are currently occupying. This work is scheduled to begin on Friday, May 15. If you use those bike racks, please plan to use the bike racks provided on the east-side of the building. Bikes attached to the rack will be removed and turned over to RUPD.

The project has completed the temporary road on the north side of the site is now beginning to relocate the fence at Entrance 23 in preparation for roadwork on the north road. The fence along Abercrombie will also be relocated - moving it approximately 4’ to the west – to start demolition of the road and paving between Abercrombie and the Kitchen/Servery for the new colleges.

The replacement of an additional four (4) roofs on the Ley Student Center is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 18. There will be moderate noise during the removal of the old roof and some odor when the contractor is using the hot-tar kettle. The tar kettle has a smoke filter; however additional outdoor fans will be on-and during windy weather conditions. The contractor will stage to the west of the main entrance where the bike racks are currently located. Two (2) spaces on Lab Road will be designated for parking and delivery. This work is anticipated to complete by Friday, Jun. 26. or sooner, weather permitting.

In preparation for the roof replacement, starting Thursday, May 14 the bike racks west of the main entrance door to RMC will be dismantled and not returned until completion of the project. Bikes attached to the rack will be removed and turned over to RUPD.

Please direct your questions and/or concerns to Max Amery at x5350 or maxamery@rice.edu.

Construction has begun for the South Colleges Renovations and Additions project. Intermittent traffic delays should be expected for the next week as the site is mobilized near Baker and Lovett Colleges. There will be fence placement, tree pruning and removal and other various contractor activities. These interruptions will become less frequent once the site is fenced-in completely and access to the site is redirected from Main Street.

A drilling rig is scheduled to be onsite near Wiess College on Tuesday, May 12 to take several soil boring samples. The rig will enter campus using Entrance 4 and will drill two (2) 4” diameter x 25’ deep holes beginning at 8:00 am. Work will be complete by 2:00 pm. The holes will be temporarily covered and coned off for the evening. The crew will return to on Wednesday, May 13 to check for water in the borings and then fill the holes permanently. The area will be restored to its existing condition by the end of business on May 13.

If you have specific questions about this scheduled activity, please contact Tina Hicks (x4296 or tinah@rice.edu).

As site preparations begin for the South Colleges Renovations and Additions project, several utility outages are necessary over the next several weeks. The outage schedule is as follows:

CenterPoint Energy is scheduled to turn off gas at Baker and Will Rice Colleges on Tuesday, May 12 (Baker College) and Wednesday, May 13(Will Rice College).

Chilled Water (HVAC) is scheduled to be turned off to all of the south colleges (Lovett, Baker, Sid Richardson, Will Rice, Hanszen and Wiess Colleges) on Tuesday, May 12 through Saturday, May 16 at 5:00 pm.

Steam is scheduled to be turned off to all of the south colleges (Lovett, Baker, Sid Richardson, Will Rice, Hanszen and Wiess Colleges) on Tuesday, May 12 through Saturday, May 16 at 5:00 pm.

Electrical power to all south colleges (Lovett, Baker, Sid Richardson, Will Rice, Hanszen and Wiess Colleges) will be turn off on Thursday, May 14 beginning at 8:00 am lasting through until 5:00 pm.

Please contact Larry Vossler (x2988 or Vossler@rice.edu) if you have specific questions about these outages.

The Inner-loop Road and Alumni Drive are scheduled to be cleaned this Friday, May. 7. The street-sweeping is scheduled to occur during the early morning hours and will have a minimal to no-noise impact.

Specific questions about this scheduled activity should be directed to Hugh Ton-That, FE&P maintenance manager (hugo@rice.edu).

The centerlines of the roadway from Entrance 8 at University Blvd. to the west end of College Way at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium will be re-striped begin Monday, May. 4. On Wednesday, May. 7. The center lane stripe of Alumni Dr. will be re-painted from Entrance 20 at Rice Blvd. to Entrance 4 at Main St.

As work is taking place, cones will be positioned on both sides of the striping. Please avoid driving over the fresh paint.

All question or concerns should be directed to David Garcia at (x3632) or Hugh Ton-That (x5341).

A mobile crane will be delivered to the North Colleges site on Friday, May 1 in the afternoon. The Duncan crane will be removed on Saturday and the McMurtry crane on Sunday. As the cranes are dismantled, there may be a slight interruption to traffic flow along Campanile Road or traffic near Entrance 23. No road blockage should last more than 15 minutes at a time and multiple flagmen will be stationed at those critical areas.

Striping and seal-coat repairs in the Hess parking lot near the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium is scheduled to begin this Sunday, May. 3. and will last through Tuesday, May. 5. The lot will be closed to parkers during this time and Hess Lot parkers will use West Lot 1 in front of Alice Pratt Brown Hall.

If you have specific questions about this project, please contact Joe Buchanan (jwbuch@rice.edu).

Beginning Thursday, Apr. 30. concrete demolition work will begin at the site for the Brockman Hall for Physics. This work includes jack-hammering of the existing utility tunnel located in-between George R. Brown Hall and the Keith-Wiess Geological Laboratories. This work should be considered noisy and is scheduled to complete Tuesday, May. 5.

Please contact Erik Knezevich (knez@rice.edu) if you have specific questions regarding this work.

As the campus prepares for the 96th commencement, activity will begin to take place inside the Academic Quad on Monday, Apr. 20. These activities include the construction of the commencement and orchestra stages, special flooring, chairs and other related items. Work is scheduled to begin on Apr. 20. and will be complete by Wednesday, May 6.

Moderate noise should be expected throughout this process. Specific questions about this scheduled work should be directed to Hannes Hofer (x5347 or hofer@rice.edu).

The recreation pool construction begins next Monday, Mar. 30. This will necessitate a high volume of dump-trucks passing through the project. Trucks will enter the campus using Entrance 20 and enter the site from Alumni Drive. Trucks will exit the site off Laboratory Road and are not expected to impact campus traffic.

A large crane will be brought to the Biology parking lot on Tuesday, Mar. 31. This crane will be used to replace the air handler at the 4^th floor of the Anderson Biology building. The crane will be staged in the parking lot next to the greenhouses from 7:00 am until 12:00 pm on Tuesday and then again on Thursday, Apr. 2 from 7:00 am until 12:00 pm.

Please be advised that all contractor traffic for the Brockman Hall for Physics project will be routed to and from the site through Entrance 21 off Rice Boulevard. A uniformed Rice police officer will be present at the entrance for traffic control and flag-persons will be positioned at the construction entrances to the site.

If you have specific questions about this project, please contact contact Erik Knezevich 713-348-6369.

E. Cullen Street north of John Freeman Boulevard and Ross Sterling Street between Fannin Street and E. Cullen Street will be closed to through traffic on Mar. 14.  The closure will begin at 7:00 am and is expected to last until 5:00 pm.  The closure is necessary for the installation of a crane to lift an air unit to the top of the University of Texas Medical School. The Memorial Hermann Hospital drop-off will remain open and access to Garage 3, Garage 4, Parking Lot B and all other buildings will remain open. 

The contractor will install traffic control devices and the University of Texas Police will assist with traffic and pedestrians.  For further information or assistance, please contact Texas Medical Center Security, (713) 795-0000.

The reconstruction of John Freeman Blvd. between Fannin St. and E. Cullen St. will begin Mar. 12 and is scheduled through Dec. 31. The reconstruction includes utility work along with new pavement and sidewalks. The project will be phased to maintain access for driveways and two-way traffic. METRO will be moving the bus stops on John Freeman to the corners of John Freeman Boulevard and E. Cullen Street. METRO will provide signage to direct riders to those locations.

The contractor will install traffic control devices, equipment, and signage. Police officers will be on duty to direct traffic and help pedestrians.

For further information or assistance, please contact Texas Medical Center Security (713)795-0000 

Emergency asphalt repairs are scheduled at the bicycle track beginning today, Wednesday, Mar 4. The track will be closed as the repairs are made in preparation for Beer Bike on Saturday, Mar 21. Weather permitting, the work will is scheduled to be completed and the track re-opened for practice on Monday, Mar 9.

If you have any questions or concerns about this scheduled activity, please contact Max Amery (x5350 or maxamery@rice.edu).

Asphalt repairs are scheduled on campus during Spring Recess. Specific areas to be addressed include College Way near Allen Center and the bus loop near the Rice Stadium. Work will commence Monday, Mar. 2. and is expected to be complete by Friday, Mar. 6. Work will be intermittent and a flag-person will be present at all times to ensure traffic flows smoothly. Some activities associated with this work should be considered noisy, but will not last long. Please contact Max Amery (x5350 maxamery@rice.edu) if you have specific questions about this work.

On Sunday, Mar 1. beginning at 7:30 am power, air conditioning, exhaust, ventilation and water to George R. Brown, Dell Butcher Hall, McNair Hall, Baker Hall and Alice Pratt Brown will be turned off. This outage is necessary to set up the power to the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center. There will be emergency generators for mandatory systems in the effected buildings. The outage is scheduled to last until 11:30 pm.

On Saturday, Feb. 28. there will be four trucks with roof panels staged in the parking lot near gate 17. There will be a 60-ton crane brought in gate 20 and staged on the project site along with the roof panels. This activity will begin at 8:00 am and there will be flag person working the gates as necessary.

Please be advised that the northbound feeder ramp of Fannin Street will be closed, from north of Holcombe Boulevard to north of Bates Street from Feb. 27. at 4:00 pm to Mar 2. at 5:00 am. The northbound underpass lane of Fannin Street will remain open under Holcombe Boulevard.

Texas Sterling Construction will pour concrete pavement at Fannin Street, in the area of the Bates Street intersection.  The northbound traffic on the Fannin Street ramp will be detoured at Holcombe Boulevard during the road closure. Metro Rail service will remain operational. The northbound underpass lane of Fannin Street will remain open under Holcombe Boulevard. Bates Street westbound lanes to Fannin Street will be closed also.  The contractor will install traffic control devices, equipment, and signage. Police officers will be on duty to direct traffic and help pedestrians.  

For further information or assistance, please contact Texas Medical Center Security, (713)795-0000.

As part of Texas Medical Center initiatives to improve mobility to and from Texas Medical Center, TxDOT will expand the capacity of the SH288 Southbound exit ramps of MacGregor Drive and Holcombe Boulevard from one exit lane to two exiting lanes. The construction will last approximately one year. This is Phase I of a 5 Phase project. The contractor for this project is Williams Brothers Construction.

The State Highway 288 Southbound exiting ramps at Holcombe Boulevard and MacGregor Drive will be closed evenings, intermittently for the next two months (Monday evening Feb. 23. through Thursday evening Apr 23.) from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am. One of the two exit ramps will always remain open. The contractor will install traffic control devices, equipment, and signage. Police officers will be on duty to direct traffic.

For further information or assistance, please contact Texas Medical Center Security, (713)795-0000.

The two bicycle racks currently located in-between the Space Science and Geology buildings closest to Hamman Hall are scheduled to be relocated on Tuesday, Feb. 23. One rack will be moved to the south-side of Space Science and the other rack will be move to the north-side of Geology. The relocated bike racks will remain in the temporary locations through the duration of the Brockman Hall for Physics project.

The turnaround loop located off of Campanile Drive in between the Mudd Building and Hamman Hall will be closed to 15-minute traffic and registered motorcycle parking beginning Wednesday, Feb. 18. The area is scheduled to be closed for the duration of the Brockman Hall for Physics construction project and will be used as an exit for construction vehicles. Pedestrian access to these buildings will be maintained throughout the duration of the project which is anticipated to complete Dec. 2010. Ample parking for motorcycles with permits is provided in close proximity in the North Lot directly across from Campanile Drive.

If you have specific questions about parking, please contact Mike Morgan (x2020).

Demolition and reconstruction of the exterior north stair at Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen is scheduled to begin at OEDK. A fence will be installed around the north sidewalk on Tuesday, Feb. 17. and a temporary stairway will be installed. The temporary exterior stair is being constructed in order to retain emergency egress only for the duration of the project. All students, faculty and staff the use this building are being asked to use the front stairs for entering and exiting the building. An exploratory demolition of the existing stair will begin on Feb. 23. wherein the decision will be made on complete demolition and reconstruction. Project is tentatively scheduled to complete before mid-March.

Please contact Anzie Gilmore (x3395) for specific questions about these scheduled activities.

The Grove: Contractors will be in the Grove tomorrow near Sid Rich College to elevate a manhole cover. Work is scheduled to begin no earlier than 9 am and does not require heavy equipment or machinery – minimal noise should be expected. Work should be finished within several hours but will be completed by the end of the day. Pedestrian access to the Grove will not be affected.

The Pavilion: Contractors will begin work on Saturday a footing will be placed for a new blue-light phone at the corner of the elm-Bosque closest to Lab Road. Work will begin at 7 am and will complete by the end of the day.

Please contact Larry Vossler (x2988) if you have specific questions about these scheduled activities.

The sidewalk on the south-side of Sewall Hall (facing Allen Center) will be closed on Friday, Feb. 6. while the southern side of the building is pressure-washed. The sidewalk will be closed for pedestrian safety. Work is scheduled to complete by Sunday, Feb 15. and the sidewalk will re-open on Monday, Feb. 16. Please contact Max Amery (x5350) if you have specific questions about this scheduled activity.

Materials scheduled to be delivered to the David and Barbara Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center construction site will require the out-riggers of a crane to be place temporarily into Laboratory Road  Feb. 3. This placement will not require the road to be closed, but will necessitate a flag person to be stationed near the out-rigger to direct traffic. This activity is scheduled to begin 7:00 am and complete no later than 12:00 pm.

A domestic water-line burst near the walkways connecting Herring Hall, Brochstein Pavilion, Fondren Library and Humanities closest to College Way. Facilities, Engineering and Planning crews are working now to determine the exact location of the leak and the extent of any damage. Water is being pumped from the area now allowing sidewalks to remain open in that area. More information will be made available soon.

A portion of sidewalk along College Way in front of Rayzor Hall is being repaired and replaced today. The sidewalk was damaged when the City of Houston repaired the damaged water line in that area. The contractor is expected to complete work by the end of day today and will be re-opened for pedestrian use tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 23.

Please contact Max Amery (x5350) if you have specific questions about the work taking place.

The City of Houston will be on campus this morning to repair isolate and repair the leaking waterline across from Allen Center. A section of sidewalk will be blocked off and barricaded as work takes place. A detour for pedestrians in that area will be provided. Rice University Facilities, Engineering and Planning crews will be onsite to assist the City as they unload equipment, direct traffic and make repairs. The work is expected to take most of the day to complete.

Please contact Hugh Ton-That if you have specific questions about this City of Houston project.

College Way from Alice Pratt Brown Music School to Alumni Drive is scheduled to undergo asphalt repairs. Beginning Thursday, Jan. 15. several feet of curb will be removed in front of Tudor Fieldhouse in preparation of the repair work. Work will commence at 8:00 am with loud to moderate noise and dust should be expected as concrete curbs are demolished then removed from campus. Concrete will be poured in the afternoon replacing the curbs. Minimal disruption to traffic is expected as the roadway will remain open as this work is taking place. Barricades and flag persons will be stationed at appropriate locations to direct traffic as necessary.

On Sunday, Jan. 18. College Way will be close to non-essential traffic from Alumni Drive to the Cohen House for asphalt repairs. The left-lane of College Way from Alice Pratt Brown to the east of Tudor Fieldhouse will also be closed for repairs. Loud to moderate noise levels and airborne dust should be expected on Sunday as sections of roadway are demolished and removed. On Monday, Jan. 19. sections of the roadway will be filled in with asphalt to repair damaged areas. Barricades and flag persons will be staged appropriately to direct traffic, if needed. Rice University shuttle service will not run Sunday or Monday. In case of inclement weather, work will be rescheduled. The roadway is expected to reopen to traffic on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

For specific questions about the activities scheduled, please contact Max Amery (x5350 or maxamery@rice.edu). If you have questions regarding shuttle service, please contact Elizabeth Gbordzoe (x5223).

On Saturday, Jan. 10., a City of Houston contractor, Insituform, will begin trenching across the road at Entrance 8. Half of the roadway at time will be worked on allowing traffic in and out during while work is taking place. Work is scheduled to begin at 7:00 am and will be complete by 5:00 pm. During the rest of next week the contractor will trench another three locations at various areas on the perimeter of the campus – these locations should not have an impact on campus traffic or pedestrian flow. The contractor will be out of the area by the end of January.

A City of Houston water line is leaking near College Way at the southwest corner of Sewall Hall. The city is aware of the leak and expects to send a crew to respond quickly. FE&P personnel will update the campus when a repair schedule is available.

Beginning Thursday, Jan. 8. through Tuesday, Apr. 7. a City of Houston contractor, Texas Sterling, will perform work on University Boulevard in an area from Main Street to 430 feet west of Main Street. Texas Sterling will construct a large manhole for a 54-inch sanitary pipe, install a new 12-inch water line, and install a liner in the existing 54-inch sanitary pipe. New storm pipes and inlets to eliminate street flooding will be install, and complete reconstruction of street pavement once work is finished. Two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane of University Boulevard, west of Main Street will remain open during construction. Traffic control devices, equipment and signage will be installed and uniformed police officers will be on duty to direct traffic and pedestrians.

For further information or assistance, please contact:

Roger Cohlmeyer of Texas Sterling Contractors, (832) 457-9049 or Akbar Tavangarian of Texas Medical Center, (713) 791-6414

A large crane will be disassembled and removed from the Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center construction site on Friday, Jan. 9. The crane will be removed by several large trucks beginning at 11:00 am. The trucks will access the site using Lab Road and will require three or four brief road closures of Lab Road for no longer than five minutes each time. Flag persons will be present to direct traffic as necessary. The crane is expected to be off site by 12:00 pm.

A City of Houston water-line was damaged and replaced over the winter recess. The line was directly beneath the sidewalk of entrance to the Humanities building courtyard. In order to repair the line, a portion of sidewalk was demolished and removed and is now closed to pedestrian traffic. The sidewalk is expected to be repaired before the end of the week.

Tree removal is scheduled to begin on Monday, Dec. 29 on Lab Road near Duncan Hall. This will require the loop to be closed at this area until 5 pm.

Asphalt road repair to College Way that was planned to begin on Tuesday has been cancelled. Notification to the campus will take place once this work has been rescheduled.

College Way from the Alice Pratt Brown School of Music to Alumni Drive will be closed beginning Tuesday, Dec. 30 through Wednesday, Dec. 31 for asphalt repair. Work will begin at 9:00 am each day and will last until 5:00 pm. During this repair work, Lab Road will be open to two-way traffic. Flag persons and barricades will be stationed to direct traffic as necessary. The road will open up each evening for use after 5:00 pm.

The fountains at the Brochstein Pavilion are scheduled to be repaired over Winter Recess. The fountains will not be running beginning Monday, Dec. 21. and should be completely repaired by Monday, Jan. 5.

Several outages are planned over Winter Recess related to the Duncan and McMurtry Colleges project site. Beginning Friday, Dec. 26. an A/C and heat outage will be in effect for all three north colleges; Martel, Jones and Brown. The outage is scheduled to last through Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Also, on Monday, Dec. 29. an electrical outage is planned for the current north colleges; Martel, Jones and Brown. The outage is only scheduled for this day and will last at least 12 hours. Lab Road at Duncan Hall will be closed on Dec. 29. for tree removal in that area.

For more information on these outages, please contact Rice University Housing & Dining: 713-348-5242

Roof work is scheduled to begin at several locations on campus during Winter Recess. Several sections of roof at the Rice Memorial Center will begin repair on Thursday, Dec. 18. The roof at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium will begin repair the week of Dec. 21. Repairs are expected to be complete by mid-January.

In preparation for the South Colleges Renovations and Additions project, the basement of the 55’ wing at Will Rice College will be abated. Abatement work begins Thursday, Dec. 18. and will complete by Friday, Jan. 2.

The cardio room at the Rec Center will be closed beginning Monday, Dec. 15 through Friday, Dec. 19 as additional work takes place in the newly renovated Tudor Fieldhouse.

The elevator at Dell Butcher Hall will be shut down for repairs beginning Monday Dec. 8. The elevator will be able to be used once weekly for lifts of supplies and equipment. This will take place every Wednesday morning for 1 hour from 9 am - 10 am. The elevator should be fully operational by Monday, Jan. 5.

On Saturday, Dec.13 a small section of Laboratory Road will be closed to traffic from 7 am - 9 am. The road is being closed in order to maneuver large equipment on to the site. Traffic will still be able to enter and exit the parking garage during this time. Flag persons will be placed at strategic locations to direct traffic as necessary and Rice University Police will be onsite as well. Laboratory Road will reopen at 9 am.

The courtyard between Abercrombie and Duncan Hall will be closed to pedestrian access beginning Monday, Dec. 15 in advance of a scheduled electrical shutdown during winter recess. The area will be blocked with orange fencing through Friday, Jan. 2.

A tower crane on site at the Collaborative Research Center off of Dryden Street is scheduled to be dismantled beginning Friday, Dec. 5. A 650-ton truck rig will be required to dismantle the tower crane and is scheduled to arrive at approximately 7:00 PM that evening. Dryden Street will be closed in both directions from 7:00 PM Friday, Dec. 5 until 5:00 AM on Monday, Dec. 8. Four uniformed police officers will be on duty to direct traffic as appropriate.

The southern entrance to Sewall Hall (facing Allen Center) will be closed beginning Tuesday, Dec. 9 as windows on the southern side of the building are waterproofed. A large section of sidewalk will be closed in that area leading to the entrance for pedestrian safety. Work is scheduled to complete by Friday, Dec. 19.

CenterPoint Energy will be on campus this Thursday, Dec. 4 through Friday, Dec. 5 to tie in a newly relocated gas line adjacent to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. Crews will require a truck near the location on Alumni Drive blocking one lane of traffic. Flag persons will be present to direct traffic as necessary.

The road closure of Alumni Drive at College Way to Entrance 4 will be extended through 6 pm on Monday, Nov. 24. The street is closed as equipment is delivered to the new South Plant by crane. The crane will be assembled on Alumni Drive directly in front of the plant.

Kitchen/Servery and Rice Catering traffic will be allowed to access Alumni Drive to the South Servery. Barricades and flag persons have been placed in strategic locations at opposite ends of Alumni Drive to direct traffic as necessary

Beginning Monday, Nov. 24 work will be taking place at the site for the new Physics building. A contractor will be onsite drilling soil samples. The boring work will continue through Tuesday, Nov. 25. Moderate noise should be expected with this activity.

Please be aware that Alumni Drive at College Way to Entrance 4 will be closed to traffic on Monday, Nov. 24 from 9 am – 1 pm. The street will be closed as equipment is delivered to the new South Plant by crane. The crane will be assembled on Alumni Drive directly in front of the plant. Kitchen/Servery and Rice Catering traffic will be allowed to access Alumni Drive to the South Servery. Barricades and flag persons will be placed at opposite end of Alumni Drive to direct traffic as necessary.

Please be aware that concrete leveling work is scheduled to take place to several areas of sidewalks at various locations on the Rice inner-loop beginning Monday, Nov. 24. The locations include: Herzstein Hall, George R. Brown Hall, MD Anderson Biological Labs and Alice Pratt Brown Hall. 

There will be a truck parked on-site to assist with the concrete raising and leveling. A flag-person will be present to direct traffic, if necessary, while the work is taking place. Moderate noise will be associated with this activity as sections of the sidewalk are raised then leveled. This work is expected to be complete within two to three days. Pedestrians will be directed to alternate sidewalks or temporary walks will be available to get around the areas being repaired.

Sidewalk repairs and replacements are scheduled to begin place this Friday, Nov. 14 at various locations around campus – specifically focusing on the inner-loop. Sections being worked on will be small and will roped-off. Pedestrians will be directed to alternate sidewalks or temporary walks will be available to get around the areas being repaired. Moderate noise should be expected with this work as sections of sidewalk are removed. The contractor will require trucks to be onsite during work and will have flag-persons to direct traffic as necessary. All replacement and repair work is expected to be complete by Saturday afternoon.

CenterPoint Energy will be working on campus over the next several days finishing work along Alumni Drive tieing in the natural gas line that was relocated two weeks ago. Trucks and equipment will be on Alumni Drive early this week to tie in the line. Flag-persons will be present at all times to direct traffic as necessary. CenterPoint has indicated they expect to work from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm for at least two days.

Asphalt repair work has been scheduled for Friday, Oct. 31 at Entrance 21 in front of the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. A small section of the road will be blocked beginning at 7:00 am through 12:00 pm. Flag-persons will be present as this work is taking place and will direct traffic as appropriate.

CenterPoint Energy will be working on campus over the next several days. Trucks and crews will be at various locations along Alumni Drive as a natural gas line is relocated.

Trucks and equipment will be north of College Way on Alumni Drive tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 30 boring a hole to tie in the line. On Friday, Oct. 31, the crew will move south of College Way, remaining on Alumni Drive and will bury new pipe. Flag-persons will be present at all times to direct traffic as necessary. CenterPoint has indicated they expect to work from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm on these days

College Way will be closed to traffic from 7 am – 6 pm on Saturday, Oct. 25. The closure is scheduled for the Autry Court Renovation Project Team to repair asphalt along College Way. Lab Road will be opened to two-way traffic during this time and flag persons will be present to re-direct traffic to the appropriate routes. The roadway will only be closed during the day beginning at 7 am and will reopen for use at 6 pm.

More decomposed granite will be brought to the Groveand spread over low spots along the pathways on Tuesday, Oct. 21. There may be minor disruption to pedestrian traffic will specific areas are repaired. The work is scheduled to address only low spots and is not overhaul of the area.

The fountains at the Pavilion will be cleaned and power-washed along with some additional maintenance work. This work is not expected to cause a disruption to pedestrian traffic..

College Way will remain closed through Saturday, Oct. 18. The project team is confident all work requiring this road closure will be complete on Saturday afternoon.

College way will only be closed during the day from 7 am through 5 pm, when it re-open. Flag persons will continue to direct traffic as necessary.

The green roof for the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Oct. 15. This exciting process will require a 45-foot truck that will park along Campanile Drive across from the Mudd Building as green grids are hoisted onto the roof. The truck will be present beginning Wednesday, Oct. 15 through Friday, Oct. 17 from 7:30-10am each day. One lane of Campanile Drive may be blocked and flag persons will be onsite to direct traffic as needed.

Due to unforeseeable circumstances it will be necessary for College Way to remain closed through Thursday, Oct. 16. The roadway will only be closed during the day beginning at 7 am and will reopen for use at 5 pm. Flag persons will remain at strategic locations and will direct traffic as necessary.

Please be advised that sidewalk repairs are scheduled at various locations on campus begging Monday, October 13^th. Repairs are expected to be complete by Tuesday, October 14^th in the afternoon. Areas that are being worked on will be clearly marked and inaccessible to the public. Some areas will require sidewalk replacement and this may involve concrete trucks onsite. The contractor will have flag persons available to direct traffic at these areas if necessary.

The final sidewalks for the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen are scheduled to be poured tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 10. The pour is scheduled to begin at 7 am and will be complete by 12 pm. A concrete truck will be present during this pour along Campanile Drive and a flag person will be present to direct traffic as necessary.

College Way will be closed to traffic from 7 am – 5 pm beginning Saturday, Oct. 11 through Tuesday, Oct. 14. The closure is scheduled for the Autry Court Renovation Project Team to move nine large trees from the corner of College Way adjacent to the music school to the front of new Autry. Lab Road will be opened to two-way traffic during this time and flag persons will be present to re-direct traffic to the appropriate routes. The locations are College Way at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium, Lab Road at the corner of the Alice Pratt Brown Music School and the corner of Lab Road and Alumni Drive. The roadway will only be closed during the day beginning at 7 am and will reopen for use at 5 pm.

Work is scheduled to begin early next week on the concrete pavers in front of Lovett Hall. Workers will be repairing and replacing the paver’s wooden joints and will then level the pavers. The crew performing the work will have a truck parked on-site to assist with the concrete raising and leveling. A flag-person will be present to direct traffic, if necessary, while the work is taking place. Moderate noise will be associated with this activity as the pavers are raised and leveled. This work is expected to be complete within one day.

The Texas Medical Center has advised Rice University that beginning Monday, Sept. 29, two (2) westbound lanes on MacGregor Drive will be closed to traffic between Fannin Street and Main Street. The lanes will be closed through Saturday, Nov. 8. These lanes are being closed as CenterPoint Energy will be installing an underground electrical duct bank on North MacGregor, crossing Fannin and Main Streets. Installation of the duct bank and boring under Fannin Street will be done day and night continuously, during this time. The contractor will install traffic-control devices, signage and police officers will be present to direct traffic and pedestrians.

 Texas Medical Center has provided contact numbers if you would like additional information:

 Akbar Tavangarian, Texas Medical Center: 713-791-6414  or Texas Medical Center Security: 713-795-0000

Beginning Monday, Sept. 15 the project team for the new Physics Building will begin an exploratory dig on the east-side of the Space Science and Technology Building. The dig will result in a small hole 8’ x 8’ allowing the team to take measurements for future steam and chilled water pipes for the new building. The work will not last longer than two days and is expected to be complete and the hole recovered by Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 16.

Beginning at 7 am on Wednesday, Sept. 10, the sidewalk that connects Duncan Hall (adjacent to the Abercrombie Engineering Lab) to the Engineering Quad will be replaced. The sidewalk will take approximately three days to replace. The concrete will be brought into the quad by wheelbarrow. A mini-excavator will be on site to perform grading work. The contractor performing the work will have a truck and trailer on Lab Road while work is taking place. A flag person will be present at all times to direct traffic necessary. This work is not anticipated to interfere with pedestrian traffic.

Landscape work is scheduled to take place in the Central Quad this Saturday, Sept. 6 beginning at 7 am. The contractor will be bringing in several large 300-gallon live oak trees to be planted. The truck used to bring in the trees may block Alumni Drive intermittently during this time, but it is not anticipated to be onsite more than 30 minutes to an hour. The contractor will have flag-persons present to direct traffic as appropriate. All work will be complete on Sunday, Sept. 7. 

Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 7:00 am, concrete trucks will be onsite at Entrance 21 to install the pervious sidewalk in front of the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. Entrance 21 will be partially blocked at times as the trucks occupy that area. There will be two (2) flagmen present at all times as work is taking place. The trucks are only anticipated to be onsite for four hours and the entrance should be fully re-opened by 11:00 am. North Lot parkers are encouraged to utilize Entrance 20 to access the parking lot tomorrow morning.

The steam blow for the South Plant has been rescheduled. Additional modifications to the steam pipes were necessary prior to the commencement of this work. The steam blow will begin Monday morning, Aug. 25. Work will begin at 9:00 am and end at 5:00 pm each day and is scheduled to be complete on Thursday, Aug. 28. As a reminder, this work is being performed on the steam pipe running to the new South Plant building. Moderate noise levels should be expected with this type of work, specifically coming from the steam as it is pushed out through the vent. This vent is located in between the South Servery and Construction Information Center.

For specific questions about this work, please contact Erik Knezevich (x6369 knez@rice.edu) or Susann Glenn (x3793 construction@rice.edu)

Comfort heating in Lovett College will be shut-off this Friday, Aug. 22 from 7:00 am - 5:00 pm for a control valve replacement. Effect is minimal as comfort heating is not anticipated to be used during August.

Please be advised that beginning Tuesday, Aug. 19, a steam blow will be performed on the steam pipe running to the new South Plant building. Moderate to significant noise should be expected with this type of work, specifically coming from the steam as it is pushed out through the vent. This vent is located in between the South Servery and Construction Information Center. Work will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 8 p.m. each day and is expected to be complete in approximately four days. 

A broken valve is scheduled to be replaced at Hanzsen College beginning at 7:00 am Saturday, Jul. 26 through Sunday, Jul. 27. During this time, steam and hot water will be out. Other areas that will be affected by this outage are Baker College and Master's House, new/old Hanszen College, new/old Will Rice College, South Servery, Wiess College and Sid Richardson College.

Steam and hot water will be restored by 6:00 pm on Sunday, Jul. 27.

Hot and cold water will be out at the Rice Recreation Center and the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium beginning Monday, July 14 at 9:45 am through 1:00 pm. All systems will be restored at that time.

The Recreation Center is only expected to be without water for 30 minutes. The tennis stadium outage will last for three hours.

This outage supports construction work ongoing at Autry Court.

Please call the Facilities Service Center (x 2485) if you have additional questions about this outage.