Sidewalks adjacent to the LSU Library, in the middle of the Quad and other locations are being restored this month to address tripping hazards.
Assistant director of site and master planning Dennis Mitchel has worked with LSU facilities to identify hazardous areas on campus that need maintenance. Cracked sidewalks in the Quad were among the priorities.
“The major work is complete,” Mitchell said, “However, landscape services will continue to patch and repair smaller areas.”
Mitchell and others within LSU Facility Services are working toward bigger maintenance restorations throughout the end of this semester and into the summer.
“Maintenance is an ongoing issue campus-wide,” Mitchell said. “However, larger projects such as the new science building and the future library will address the entire circulation around the site. We are currently working on some sidewalk improvements this summer near Highland road, Campus Mound area, and near the Music and Dramatic Arts building.”
The cost of fixing sidewalks can be crucial when other parts of campus are in need of restoration.
“We cannot afford to fix everything at the same time due to limited resources,” Mitchell said, “A temporary solution may be appropriate as a stop-gap measure.”
Complaints from students in past years about the quality of sidewalks on campus have been LSU Facilities’ top priority. Students who skate, bike or ride a scooter around campus are especially aware of the issue.
“In general most people are busy getting to class and complaints are few,” Mitchell said. Sidewalk pavement will fail due to many reasons, usually due to equipment loading for utility repairs or tree roots pushing up on the slab.”
Choosing the appropriate material that will withstand Louisiana weather is important for preserving LSU’s sidewalks, according to Mitchell.
“Concrete is the material of choice, but we can use other temporary materials if necessary to keep the walkway open,” he said. “We have had some success with a concrete vinyl patch.”
Pamela Branz, a mass communication sophomore, is excited to see renovations to the Quad. She also would like to see other problem areas on campus addressed.
“I am ecstatic that LSU is repairing the sidewalks, now they need to redo the roads,” Branz said.
Branz believes that each facility within the LSU campus should have an equal chance at restoration.
Branz’s main concern is repairing the East Campus Apartment sidewalks. The sidewalks are uneven and cause a hazard.
“When I walk to class, the cracks within the sidewalks cause me to trip,” Branz said. “It’s an annoyance.”
Jamesson Woodall, a coastal and environmental sciences freshman, has observed cracks on the sides of the buildings within the Quad and believes that should be the next priority for LSU Facilities Services.
“Those cracks need a permanent solution,” Woodall said.
Some buildings and areas of LSU’s campus are maintained in stricter conditions and receive more attention than other buildings, Woodall said.
“A lot of our athletic facilities are very new, updated and constantly getting maintenance,” Woodall said. “Whereas more academic areas potentially are not.”
Woodall hopes that all of the sidewalks within campus can be fixed and maintained someday.
“I think Louisiana’s weather is always going to be problematic, but there are many ways to construct sufficient sidewalks within this climate,” Woodall said.
Students walk past new concrete on Monday, March 7, 2022, in the LSU Quad in Baton Rouge, La.
