This summer, Syracuse University has made efforts to rebuild and refurbish the College Place bus stop and the Place of Remembrance.

A part of the Connective Corridor, College Place is one of the major campus bus stops used by the Syracuse University community. This summer, 70 percent of the road’s surface will be rebuilt. The road has deteriorated to the point where rebuilding is necessary, said Eric Beattie, director of design and construction, in an email.

“The effects of weather in Central New York, especially cycles of freeze-thaw, accelerate deterioration of roads,” Beattie said. He also said the weight and size of the buses create additional stress on the road.

So far, the old pavement and brick crosswalks have been removed and the sub-base material is being prepared for installation of the new pavement, Beattie said. The project is on schedule and will be completed before the start of the upcoming fall semester.

During the process of remodeling College Place, workers encountered old, abandoned trolley rails. These rails were left over from the city’s trolley system that existed many decades ago, Beattie said.

The trolley system was eventually discontinued by the city, but the steel rails remained and were covered with asphalt paving, he said. Beattie added that the rails “kept popping up” through the surface. This resulted in problems with maintenance and snow plowing, and was dangerous to bicyclists.

Workers are currently in the process of removing the rails at College Place, Beattie said, but rails still remain hidden below streets throughout Syracuse.

The rebuilding of College Place will benefit the SU community in many ways, such as creating a safer road that can be more easily maintained during Syracuse winters, a crosswalk better aligned with the sidewalk along the north side of the Life Sciences Complex and a more attractive road, Beattie said.

The update of College Place is part of a repair and replacement program, Beattie said, which aims to keep SU road and sidewalks in good condition.

The construction at College Place is not part of the Connective Corridor Project. On July 2, the first phase of the Connective Corridor Project was completed when University Avenue became a two-way street.

Additionally, the university plans to restore the Place of Remembrance, a memorial dedicated to the victims who lost their lives in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, according to an SU News press release.

The refurbishing of the memorial began in May and should be finished by the end of October. The goal, according to the news release, is for the Place of Remembrance to be finished in time for annual anniversary events taking place during Remembrance Week.

The Place of Remembrance consists of the Remembrance Wall, made of limestone and granite, where the 35 SU study abroad students who died on Pan Am Flight 103 are honored.

Both the Place of Remembrance and the Gateway to Campus — the two stairways leading to the Hall of Languages — are a part of the summer restoration project by the Office of Campus Planning, Design and Construction, according to the release.

The updated Wall of Remembrance will be made of new limestone, which can withstand outdoor elements, according to the release. The names of the 35 students on the Wall of Remembrance will also be restored.

The light fixtures on the flanking columns as part of the Gateway to Campus area will be restored to their original appearance. The nearby staircases and sidewalks will also receive an upgrade, according to the release.

Said Beattie: “We are thankful that the university is able to reinvest in its campus infrastructure in order to keep it in good functional and aesthetic condition.”

Published on July 16, 2012 at 6:07 pm

Contact Meredith: mhnewman@syr.edu | @MerNewman93