Project director warns students to slow down while driving by the construction site.

Callie Schmidt | News Reporter

According to Associate Director of Planning and Projects Michael Lindsey, construction on the sinkhole in front of Benson is scheduled to be finished by the end of the month.

“We’re still working to nail down the exact costs. We won’t know the total price until after the project is done, because there are still quite a few variables we’re working through,” Lindsey said.

The biggest concern for the construction crew is traffic going through. People are still attempting to walk past on the road, despite the area being completely closed to pedestrians since Monday, Nov. 7. The exact location blocked off to pedestrians is from the stop sign by the West parking lot past Heritage all the way up to the foot bridge by Freshman Hill.

Vehicles also are not slowing down as they drive through the construction site. The road is much narrower than normal, making it impossible for two vehicles to pass by each other side-by-side.

“That’s the scariest part right there, to be honest,” Lindsey said. “It’s basically down to one lane of traffic, and we’ve got students that are still trying to walk through there even though it’s already kind of a dangerous situation driving.”

According to Lindsey, contractors are working extra hours and weekends to make sure the project gets finished as quickly as possible. Challenges include underground main electrical and fiber (internet) wires, main water pipes and main gas pipes. Contractors demonstrate extra caution as they work around these obstacles.

Despite the construction area being a dangerous spot with potential for serious injury, no one has been hurt, Lindsey said. The construction site and road are stable and safely contained.

Read the original article on the sinkhole here.