UAM Moving Students Out of Royer Hall, Closing 2 Sections of Roadway Next to Stadium, Due to Light Poles
September 19th, 2009 by Joe Burgess
Drivers on the UAM campus will notice that some streets have been closed to traffic, as of Friday night.
The 2 sections of roadway adjoining the UAM stadium blocked off are; from the stop sign next to Royer Hall and the stadium, to the stop sign next to the agri dept; and from the stop sign by the old swimming pool to the stop sign between the administration building and the stadium.
Royer Hall, a residential dorm facility is also being closed down as a safety measure, as explained in a press release from UAM, posted below.
Access to the UAM campus must now be made from the HWY 425 entrance, in front of Drew Central.
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Friday, UAM relased the following press release, detailing the relocation of students from Royer Hall, located next to the football field.
Students in Royer Hall, a women’s residence hall at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, will be given the option to temporarily relocate to other residence halls or area motels while repairs are made to the light poles at Convoy Leslie-Cotton Boll Stadium.
UAM will provide a per diem to any student who decides to relocate.
Engineers told university officials Thursday afternoon that the stadium’s four light poles have small fatigue-related cracks in their base plates. The decision to allow students to relocate was based on the proximity of one of the poles to Royer Hall.
“We have been assured that the poles present no immediate danger, but our primary concern is the safety of our students and we felt it best to give them the option to move out of the residence hall while we undertake temporary repairs,” said UAM Chancellor Jack Lassiter. “I know this is an inconvenience to our students, but our first concern is their welfare.”
At the recommendation of engineers from Reliapole Solutions, Inc., UAM will install steel gussets around the base of each pole for reinforcement and strength.
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All this for four lights that “pose no immediate danger”? This is just going to cause a lot of headache for myself, other students, and faculty members on-campus. Now all of the traffic will be bottlenecked through one entrance/exit.
And those that try to come to campus via the 83 Spur that runs beside the Agri building are in for major frustration. As far as I know, there’s no way around from that stop-sign at the Agri building, so people will have to turn around and travel back to 425 to get to the campus via the Drew Central entrance.
I understand moving the students out of Royer, but closing two of the three entrances to the campus?
The administration should be prepared to accept blame for a horrendously-executed plan come Monday morning.
UAM is growing every year, but redirecting traffic to University Drive (and don’t forget Bowser Road as an option, too) is not going to stop the world.