Students who enjoy cat-walking on South Green will need to reroute during the upcoming months after a report that several catwalks might be structurally unsound.
Three catwalks on South Green will undergo construction during the next 10 to 12 months in response to a report from TRIAD Construction that analyzed the durability of the catwalks’ surfaces, railings and supports.
The catwalks directly adjacent to Cady, Foster and Brough houses; to Dougan and True houses; and to Armbruster, Atkinson and Smith houses will be closed down or rerouted during the construction, which should take between 10 months and a year, said Christine Sheets, executive director of Residential Housing.
None of the residence halls' cable, phone, Ethernet and gas lines will be affected, Sheets said.
Although the university will need to place bids regarding the catwalks’ construction, Sheets said a rough estimate for the cost of repairs is $1.3 million, which will come from Residential Housing’s about $44 million budget.
“At this point, we have the money available to respond to something like this,” Sheets said.
Kent Smith, vice president for Student Affairs, added that the university places money into reserves to deal with problems that arise, such as this one.
Cady, Foster and Brough houses might be the first South Green residence halls to be demolished in the next several years through the university’s master construction plan.
Because of this, the university might pursue alternative options for the catwalks in those areas that would maintain students’ safety but cost the university less.
One of these options would be to construct metal stairways that would replace the catwalks’ functions. This might cost only several thousand dollars, Sheets said.
No students have reported problems with the catwalks; rather, this construction is a preventative matter, Smith said.
“We’ve received no complaints,” Smith said. “This is a proactive thing for us.”
rm279109@ohiou.edu
