Several construction projects have been in progress on and around OU’s Norman campus, bringing challenges to students and commuters.
Two of the most significant projects include the widening and revitalization of Jenkins Avenue and the emergency reconstruction of Boyd Street between College and Pickard avenues due to storm and sewer infrastructure conflicts that occurred this summer.
Tim Miles, Norman city engineer, told OU Daily Wednesday that construction has progressed smoothly despite weather setbacks.
Jenkins Avenue project
The Jenkins Avenue project, which would widen the street from a two-lane to a four-lane street between Lindsey Street and Imhoff Road, is part of a 2019 bond issue approved by Norman residents.
Miles said the Jenkins Avenue construction is the city’s first priority since it includes several OU residence halls and students’ daily commutes.
“Our big (projects), especially Jenkins Avenue right there on campus, that is … probably our highest priority project at the moment just because it involves the university and the city,” Miles said.
Construction on Jenkins Avenue by Headington Hall on Sept. 4.
Miles said the second phase of construction will take place on the east half of Jenkins between Reaves Park and north toward Lindsey Street. Much of the underground work was completed in the first phase of construction and almost all new water lines have been installed, according to Miles.
“We basically are doing one half of the roadway at a time so we can maintain traffic during construction,” Miles said. “There are segments that they still have to finish testing before they can hook them up to the individual homes, … but they're close to having all the water lines installed.”
Miles said the city is upgrading the underground sewer system along Jenkins Avenue to improve drainage in the area.
The Jenkins Avenue project also runs next to several athletic sites, such as Gaylord-Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and Reaves Park. Miles said portions of Jenkins Avenue are being prioritized to help alleviate traffic congestion on game days.
“(Reaves Park) is there, (and has) big (sports) tournaments … that are big traffic generators,” Miles said. “We're getting (the) Timberdale intersection cleaned up a lot, but the new roundabout at Constitution (Street) and Imhoff (Road) is going to really allow a lot of additional capacity through that area, especially during game days.”
Miles said the most significant portions of the project have been completed in an effort to alleviate significant congestion along OU residence halls and athletic sites. He said the project is expected to be completed by fall 2026.
“I believe they were hoping to be done by mid-October, but (because of) some of the recent rains, it's pushing that schedule back to November,” Miles said. “The entire project is anticipated to be completed in October of 2026.”
Boyd Street
The Boyd Street storm sewer replacement project near OU’s campus began in late May as an emergency initiative to repair and replace pipes under the road, according to Miles.
“Boyd (Street) was kind of an emergency project. It wasn't something that we had planned,” Miles said. “There basically were just some sediments in the roadway, and after they inspected the existing storm sewer lines, they (discovered) there were old corrugated metal pipes … failing under the road.”
Boyd Street construction on Sept. 4
Miles said the project faced issues during construction after water, sewer and gas lines were discovered on Boyd Street between Pickard and Flood avenues.
“The problem is (that) there's so many utilities in the roadway, a lot of water lines or existing sewer lines. OG&E has a gas line in the vicinity,” Miles said. “Our consultant thought (the utilities) were underground. Once they started construction, progress was really slow.”
Miles said the most significant portions of the project have been completed.
“The worst of it is behind us, but now that we're into football season and OU students being back in town, especially (with) football traffic,” Miles said. “We have to make sure that Flood (Avenue) is open during game days.”
Miles did not specify when Boyd Street is expected to be completed, but according to the initial May press release, the project is expected to take 120 days from its start date.
Miles said residents who live along the projects, particularly Boyd Street, are allowed to drive through construction to enter and leave their homes. All other commuters must follow detours or alternate routes.
“We're just trying to get these completed as quickly as we can,” Miles said. “(We were) hoping it would be completed before school (started), but there were some underground issues that we weren't aware of until we opened the pavement. … We ask everybody to give us a little bit of patience to get this completed and then it should be good to go for years to come.”
Student experience, reaction
Many students who commute to campus told OU Daily they had to change their daily commutes to accommodate construction projects, particularly on Jenkins Avenue.
Anna Ballis, a pre-communication disorders junior, said she has not started taking alternative routes to campus.
“I just go to class early enough to where I don’t really have to worry about traffic holding me up,” Ballis said.
Ballis added that some unforeseen consequences of the construction have affected her car.
“I’ll be driving, and it'll be really dirty because of the construction (and) it just rained. There are cars driving past me and splashing water onto my car,” Ballis said. “They can’t help it, but it makes my car dirty and I feel so gross every time it happens.”
Ballis said she will continue to take her normal commute and plans to go through the car wash more regularly.
Some commuter students, however, have had to take alternative routes to accommodate construction on Jenkins Avenue.
Haylea Pate, a first-year clinical mental health counseling graduate student, commutes along Highway 9 in south Norman to get to campus. Pate said she experiences delays when traveling to campus.
“It has really put a lot of time on my commute,” Pate said. “Just today, I’m already a bit behind. … I was stuck behind a construction truck for like 10 minutes.”
Pate added that debris from construction, such as dirt and wood chips, has also threatened her vehicle.
“It’s been a lot rougher on my car,” Pate said. “I’ve been really nervous about getting a flat tire, especially in some of the pothole areas. … That’s really been affecting me and a few of my friends.”
Pate encouraged other commuter students to have patience and consider alternate routes to campus.
“Try to go different times on campus, maybe try to take different ways (other) than Jenkins (Avenue). It's a good opportunity to get to know ways (of campus) that maybe you haven’t seen before,” Pate said. “Maybe that's a bright look on it — it's temporary. There have been projects like this before.”
This story was edited by Natalie Armour, Thomas Pablo, Anusha Fathepure and Ana Barboza. Gretchen Schultz copy edited this story.
