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St. Cloud State University
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Commentary
Tunnel mistake squanders bonds
Published:
Monday, September 15, 2003
Dusty roadways, bright orange fences and construction workers have inhabited SCSU for the majority of the summer and into this fall semester. Although most of the construction is necessary and helps encourage growth on campus, some has proven dispensable.
Beneath the campus roadways and buildings lie tunnels. These tunnels are used to house various wires and heating pipes. A new addition to these tunnels that would connect to the James W. Miller Center had plans for completion for Sept. 1. These plans were not carried out.
Unfortunately, a construction worker cut a fiber optic line causing an domino effect to occur, leaving SCSU with an unfinished tunnel and a huge hole in the ground. The company was aware of the lines and was supposed to be operating with caution and digging around the lines, but was unsuccessful to say the least.
Because of the mistake, a new contractor had to be contacted due to insurance cancellation of the initial contractor. Changes to the wiring are also necessary to remedy the situation. The changes needed to complete the tunnel would take at least six weeks, but six more weeks of construction in a construction-filled environment should not be that big of a deal. However, the construction area was filled in and the intersection of Third Avenue and Sixth Street, along with half of the Miller Center parking lot, was paved as though the tunnel had been completed.
The reason to cover the area was purely aesthetic. The decision was based upon the thought that the excavation was a distraction and should be temporarily finished, but the constant flux of construction/no construction may prove to be a greater disturbance than a couple months in a construction zone. The amount of money that needs to be spent to temporarily cover the area, and then to turn around and rip it up next year is a severe waste of tax dollars.
The construction is not costing SCSU money; however, the state bonds that were set aside for the overall project in which the tunnel was a part of still costs somebody. Namely, tax payers.
Even though students are not paying for this misuse of money in the form of higher tuition and fees, they are still paying for it come tax day and that is a price that we cannot afford to pay.
The intentions that the decision was based upon are valid and appreciated - students do not like to see the campus ripped apart, but we also do not fancy paying for poor decisions made to rectify a situation that should not have occurred in the first place.
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