Miller Hall Construction Impacts

Emergency work to repair the steam lines between the Steam Plant and Miller Hall has required the closure of East College Way just north of the entrance to parking lot 17G, blocking access to 10G and 8G parking lots. The closure is expected to continue through late March. This emergency work to repair the existing steam system is unrelated to the heating conversion project.

The Miller Hall heating repair team successfully reconnected Miller to the new permanent steam line in December. However, remaining work under East College Way has been delayed due to heavy rains and the need for additional underground rerouting of pipes. We now expect that the road will reopen to traffic at the end of March after spring break. 

Cascade Natural Gas has found some corrosion on natural gas pipelines in this area. They are currently doing an engineering review to determine whether any pipeline will need to be replaced. If repairs are needed, they will schedule the work as soon as possible. This will likely require another, much shorter closure of East College Way.

In addition to locating all damage points on the steam system feeding Miller, teams have investigated connected areas of the system to locate condensate leaks and make repairs to avoid future system disruptions.

We expect that East College Way north of parking lot 17G will remain closed to all traffic until late March. Arrangements have been made for large deliveries and waste removal services to buildings normally serviced by East College Way. Delivery drivers with smaller loads should park in loading zones and use hand trucks to transport goods to buildings. If you need help with delivery logistics, please let us know. 

Also, be aware of the emergency vehicle access lane that runs between College and Haggard Halls, past Carver and Bond and through Red Square. The lane has been marked with fire lane tape in Red Square, and the entire length of the lane must be kept clear at all times. People may walk in the lane, and approved vehicles may drive through, but no parking or tabling is allowed.

Pedestrian and bicycle through traffic on East College Way is also blocked by the construction. Please plan to use alternate routes through campus and respect bike walk zones in heavy pedestrian traffic areas. Sections of arboretum trails that end in the construction zone are also inaccessible. 

Please refrain from using East College Way for passenger drop off.

For the duration of the road closure, parking permits for lots 8G and 10G are valid in lots 7G, 17G, 19G, 9G, and 12G. For ADA accommodations, employees should contact Human Resources, and students should contact the Disability Access Center.

As work continues, you should also expect intermittent construction noise from heavy equipment operating in the repair site on East College Way. 

We apologize for the ongoing disruptions, and we continue to work diligently to complete repairs and restore the system as quickly as possible.