Construction season at UND on schedule
Major projects around campus are on track for fall semester and beyond
Construction — one of the Midwest’s major seasons, according to internet memes.
Summertime annually presents the opportunity for repairs, retrofitting and new developments on UND’s campus.
In May, UND Today listed select projects-in-progress over the summer months. Today’s story will provide a brief recap and some of the latest information from UND Facilities Management.
The good news: in general, the projects are proceeding on schedule this summer.
STEM Complex
Since breaking ground on the STEM Complex last September, the site of the former Hyslop Sports Center has been under the veil of Kelly-green fencing. This summer, however, the project reached a vertical milestone.
Steel beams now peek over the construction site — a signifier that below-ground foundation, walls and utility work is complete.
The increasingly visible structure outlines Phase 1, situated on the north half of the site, which is expected to be completed next summer. Phase 2 is still in its fundraising phase and has yet to start construction.
Babcock Hall
Built in 1907 and vacant since 2017, Babcock Hall’s demolition process is nearly complete. Its location on the southwest corner of the quad has been backfilled and rough graded, meaning that work remains to smooth the topsoil and plant grass where the building once stood. At the time of publication, new sidewalks are under construction nearby.
The goal is to have the parking lot immediately east of Carnegie Hall to be open by Aug. 3, if not sooner. The lot has been closed for equipment staging purposes since June.
Parking
Farther west along Campus Road, at one of UND’s biggest parking lots, a mill and overlay project is crossing the finish line this week. The lot that serves the Chester Fritz Performing Arts Center (and several buildings and residence halls) has a new surface, medians and signage.
In the latest update posted to University Letter, the lot is expected to open after Friday, July 24, once the asphalt has a chance to set amid high temperatures.
UND Parking Services has also announced parking lot painting happening in several lots throughout the rest of the summer. The goal is to minimize disruption, and advance notice will be given when possible.
To note, parking permits for the 2026-27 academic year are now available and go into effect on Aug. 16.
Centennial Drive and Fox Memorial Bridge
The reconstruction of Centennial Drive — the north-south road near Gamble Hall, Nistler Hall and Merrifield Hall, among other buildings — is scheduled to reopen before the start of the semester in late August.
The latest from UND Facilities Management is that new curbs have been poured, and sidewalks are next. Pavement work for the road itself is likely two weeks out, which will include a new crosswalk configuration.
Any work remaining into the semester will be finishing touches to restore the area surrounding the current work site, said project manager Matthew Fohr.
Further out on the timeline is the replacement of the Fox Memorial Bridge. Observers will notice the old bridge is gone, its abutments removed. But parts of the new bridge are already in place with pilings in the English Coulee recently installed. New abutments for the coulee’s banks will soon arrive.
As previously reported, the goal is to have the new bridge opened around Homecoming Week in September.
DeMers Avenue bypasses open near campus
In June, 42nd Street closed near the intersection with DeMers Avenue. This past week, DeMers Avenue also closed at the site — a significant step in the two-year project developing an underpass for 42nd Street and two new bridges, one for DeMers Avenue and another for the BNSF Railway.
The project cuts off a common route to campus from the south, but DeMers Avenue’s east-to-west flow is maintained by two bypass roads that curve south of the construction site to an intersection at South 42nd Street.
According to the North Dakota Department of Transportation, the bypasses also include a shared-use pedestrian path. Notably, north-south pedestrian access along 42nd Street is detoured east to Columbia Road.
As a friendly reminder, for your safety, do not attempt to walk, drive or otherwise cut through the construction site. It is an active construction zone with hazardous conditions, heavy equipment and limited visibility. Anyone found inside the restricted area may be cited for trespassing.
The University community is advised to follow all posted signs, barriers and designated detour routes.
