A construction company is scheduled to dig up Hutchison Drive today (March 19) next to Shields Library — launching another big upgrade to the Davis campus’s underground network of steam and chilled-water lines.

Pablo Orozco, senior project manager with Design and Construction Management, said the project will complete a loop in the campus’s chilled-water system, allowing it to operate more efficiently with improved hydraulics and pressure, and with less energy consumption.

In addition, the project will bring more steam to the King Hall School of Law, where an expansion project is in its final stages, and replace 1,000 feet of aged and deficient steam lines serving the Physical Sciences Library.

Orozco said the university accelerated the contract for the purpose of finishing the work on Hutchison Drive between quarters.

With most students away, the street will not be so busy with buses, bicyclists and pedestrians. Also, next week is a short one for most employees: Wednesday and Thursday (March 24-25) are campus closure days, and Friday (March 26) is a holiday, César Chávez Day.

Orozco said the work is expected to continue until October or November. Tidelands Construction Co. of Brentwood will work south from Hutchison, going down the Mrak Mall to King Hall and the new Earth and Physical Sciences Building along the arboretum waterway.

Engineers had estimated a $6 million cost. The Tidelands bid, the lowest of four, came in just short of $3.6 million.

In 2007-08, Tidelands extended the steam and chilled-water network along La Rue Road to the Earth and Physical Sciences Building, and under the arboretum waterway to Old Davis Road to serve the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

Now, to make the loop, Tidelands is installing a 2,250-foot connection between the existing lines under Hutchison Drive and the lines that Tidelands put in previously to serve the Earth and Physical Sciences Building.

Fencing will be in place around open trenches, and detours will be posted for pedestrians and bicyclists. The contractor will provide paths through the fencing to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists.

On the Net

Design and Construction Management plans to post project updates on a Web site, starting in April. Look for the link at dcm.ucdavis.edu.