Construction has become a constant part of campus life at Weber State University. Fall 2021 had students, staff and faculty wondering when they would see the end of construction disruption on campus, especially in the parking lots.
The main construction contributor is the Ogden Express Bus Rapid Transit system, which has also impacted parking.
“Construction for the BRT is currently ongoing to become the campus shuttle starting fall 2022,” Travis Hogge, director of campus construction, said. “We are now working on the section of the pathway from the Val A. Browning Center, through residence halls and continuing to the Dee Event Center.”
The OGX line will run all-electric buses from the Mckay-Dee Hospital through campus and to Historic 25th Street. The stops aim to provide a more efficient system for students to get from the Dee Events Center to campus and to ease traffic coming into campus. The project is projected to be completed in 2023.
Hogge and the construction teams have also been working on the Noorda Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology building. This 135,000-square-foot project will not be finished until later in 2022.
“We have many other projects in mind such as landscaping, upgrades to campus entries, frontage branding and building remodels with energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning,” Hogge said.
The parking lots will also continue to be in progress, which means the construction presence in these areas will persist.
When major construction started in 2020, those who opted-in to receiving WSU announcement emails were able to see certain construction updates. The Utah Transit Authority website also has a place to sign up for updates on many projects, including the OGX.
Michiko Nakashima-Lizarazo, director of the Center for Multicultural Excellence in the Student Services Center, uses the WSU announcement emails to stay up to date.
“I am optimistic about going back this semester because I feel the projects are much needed for the betterment of our campus,” Nakashima-Lizarazo said.
