Mulberry Street, the short road which connects Richland Avenue to Park Place, might not be open for graduation.
The city-owned street has been closed for more than a week after Ohio University officials determined the utility tunnels underneath it required emergency repairs.
Officials are conducting tests, but additional information on what they’re looking for and what processes they’re undergoing wasn’t available as of press time. Construction has not started.
Mulberry Street has some of the oldest sections of tunnels on campus — they were built in 1914 — and is the most recent portion of OU’s steam tunnel system to alter vehicular traffic for repairs.
The state of the steam tunnel is similar to that on University Terrace, which required construction over the summer, said Andy Stone, city engineer and director of Public Works.
“The walls and the floor are in decent shape but the roof is failing,” Stone said.
Construction on Mulberry Street will likely take place after graduation; test results will determine whether the street can be reopened until then.
The Board of Trustees closed the tunnel after Facilities representatives discovered it might not be safe.
The board allocated $2 million to repair the tunnel from university reserves, but Stephen Golding, vice president for Finance and Administration, said he doesn’t expect to need the full amount.
The street’s closure required a bus stop for Athens Public Transit to be temporarily moved to President Street.
“We have four main routes that go through there every hour, so it’s a busy stop,” said Mary Dailey, general manager for Athens Public Transit.
Transit officials have yet to receive any complaints about the stop’s new location.
“The only thing it changes is that there is no shelter, so come a rainy day, complaints might change,” Dailey said.
OU has between five and six miles of underground tunnels, which are used to carry high-pressure steam. They will all be assessed this summer, said Harry Wyatt, associate vice president of architecture, design and construction.
“It’s not that (the tunnels) have been ignored, but having this kind of surprise is a strong indication that we need to up the inspection process,” Wyatt said.
—Lucas Daprile and Emma Ockerman contributed to this article.
This story orginally ran in print under the headline, "Mulberry street closed."
