Western’s accessible pedestrian routes have not kept pace with the growth of the University. Several routes connecting facilities lack accessible routes altogether, and in many cases no route exists at all.
The primary design needs are ensuring ADA compliance, for various ramps, crosswalks, sidewalks and academic building entries with stormwater/ice blockages that impact entries for those with and without disabilities. The design team will be responsible for coordinating all irrigation, landscape, lighting, utilities and fiber associated with work ensuring a clean finished fully sodded or rocked as appropriate. The design should require the surrounding landscape to be completed in a safe and finished fashion when construction is complete.
There are seven specific work zones:
1. Escalante Crossing. An accessible route that connects the University Center (Student Union) to the Mountaineer Bowl. There is no formal route between these Facilities, yet there is pedestrian traffic for Football games, graduation, various athletics practices and events that occur in The Bowl, and the University Center. This will also connect the Escalante Dorm Dolores, to the U Center cafeteria. There are some challenging grade changes on the northeast side of the University Center that will need to be synthesized. This component will include a substantial pedestrian crossing across Escalante, halting vehicular traffic at the crossing to ensure safe crossing which is challenged by the slope of the road.
- Quigley Snowmelt and Sidewalk Relocation. The northside of Quigley Hall serves as a collection point for drainage at the south side of the academic quad. To further challenge these two entries on the north side of the building, the roof slopes the joint entry points on the northside of the building. As part of our stormwater drainage project we completed a design for this area. On the south side of Quigley the sidewalk needs to be moved to the south and connect into the ADA ramp in order to not have fall directly onto the sidewalk. Ramps at the Western Way lot need to ramp to the building.
- Chipeta Sidewalk Improvements. Chipeta sidewalk along Georgia to Pitkin Street. There is currently a narrow sidewalk that is unusable during the winter months. The current sidewalk has ramps that are not ADA compliant, and the concrete is in poor condition, the second block toward Pitkin has no sidewalk at all. The proposed enhancement of this route will allow off-campus and on-campus students to access campus in a direct, safe and accessible route that is currently not available to them on the southwestern side of campus. The 12-foot sidewalk and streetscape in front of the Rady Engineering Building will be continued along Georgia to Colorado. This portion will require design coordination with the City of Gunnison and issuance of ROW permit.
- Escalante Road Hill Sidewalk. Sidewalk connection along Escalante Colorado/ Athletic Drive to Student Housing. This is a main campus access route for motorized and non-motorized users of all types. There is currently no sidewalk or accessible pedestrian route, so all users must share the street with cars. Creation of this route will enhance both safety and accessibility for students and community users travelling to the trail network accessible behind the Mountaineer Bowl, as well as students crossing Escalante to reach campus and children & parents accessing the adjacent daycare facility. The intersections of Colorado and Escalante as well as Athletic Drive and Escalante need to reviewed for ADA accessibility. The connection point at the Bowl will connect into the Escalante Crossing above.
- Mears Path. Ute-Mears Connector. This heavily trafficked route currently forces students to walk in a drainage culvert that is approximately 14” below grade. Creation of a sidewalk adjacent to the drainage culvert will provide a contiguous, accessible connection from dormitories
- Crystal Access: Based on initial estimating and Design, if funds allow we would like to consider an ADA ramp into Crystal Hall. A ramp is needed from the Kelley/Library lot to Crystal Hall which houses the medical center for campus. When the lot was leveled to reduce stormwater run off the lot was lowered requiring the installation of stairs.
- Escalante Route from Escalante Crossing to Kelley Lot/Canal Trailhead. Based on initial estimating and Design, if funds allow we would like to consider a recreational pathway (perhaps only crusher fines) along Escalante Drive from the Escalante Crossing east to the Canal Trail entry at the Kelley lot providing an additional pedestrian crossing at the Kelley lot to the canal trail.
All proposed routes will be concrete so that they can be plowed regularly during winter months when Gunnison receive frequent and heavy snow loads. Design should occur during the winter of 2021 with construction launching in spring of 2021.
