McKinley Avenue between Bethel Avenue and Petty Road reopened officially Aug. 14 after completion of the second phase of the award-winning McKinley Safety Improvement Project.

The construction went just as smoothly as the summer 2005 first phase of the improvement project because the contractor again was given total access to the site seven days a week.

"Everything went as planned," said Jim Lowe, director of engineering and operations, facilities planning and management. "The contractor was informed in the contract documents that the work had to be completed by August 14. They created a schedule that showed all the major milestones necessary to meet the schedule."

E&B Paving was the main contractor for the second phase of the project, which cost $3.4 million — 80 percent of which was federal grant money with the remaining 20 percent a match of university dollars.

"The major features of the project included replacing the bridge, a new campus gateway, improved drainage, a second pond west of the bridge, and much better structurally designed street pavement improvements," Lowe said, describing the second phase of the project.

The new campus gateway includes brick and wrought iron markers at the Bethel entrance intersecting with McKinley. New pedestrian crossings and landscaped medians also were added.

Along with the addition of a new pond, the existing Duck Pond also was improved. While these pond projects add beauty, they also serve a useful purpose — to filter runoff and sediments before they reach the existing creek system, Lowe said. Natural plantings were installed along the banks to prevent erosion and to filter rain run-off prior to entering the ponds.

"We've also added sediment containment systems at the ends of the underground storm drainage systems. These systems are designed to drop out sediments within the systems before discharging water into the ponds," Lowe said. Additionally, any petroleum products that reach these systems are contained and the systems will be cleaned periodically.

The first phase of the project won a national award for paving and landscaping projects and state awards for engineering and quality of workmanship.

A third phase of the roadway project, which will include improvements to Riverside and to McKinley just south of Riverside, will begin after graduation ceremonies next spring, Lowe said.

To view campus construction projects, visit the Campus Web Cam page at www.bsu.edu/up/article/0,,33960--,00.html.

For more information about the national award for the first phase of the project, visit www.bsu.edu/facilities/article/0,1894,18947-3629-44834,00.html.  Information about the state awards is available at www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,7273-850-42764,00.html.

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Lowe at (765) 285-2805 or jlowe@bsu.edu.)