The department is responsible for sidewalk maintenance on campus. This generally includes interior campus sidewalks and building approaches. Sidewalks along US-41 and many of those that connect campus to the surrounding residential areas are owned and/or maintained by the City of Houghton.
The department maintains a working assessment of campus sidewalks. Conditions are photo-documented and scored in an effort to prioritize maintenance. Facilities Management repairs and replaces sections of concrete sidewalk based on reported injuries or accessibility barriers in conjunction with the condition index described above. Community members should report condition or accessibility-related issues so that they can be assessed. Freeze-thaw cycles and similar erosive forces can change conditions in a season.
Campus roadway maintenance, also a responsibility of the department, is generally performed on an as-needed basis. Roadways falling under the department’s purview include:
- Houghton Avenue*
- Hubbell Street*
- College Avenue*
- Cliff Drive
- Phoenix Drive
- Division Street
- Woodmar Drive
- Cemetery Road
- SDC Service Drive
*Includes the on-campus segment of the road; the route generally from Rekhi Hall to the Administration Building.
Seasonal maintenance by the department typically includes addressing potholes and damaged areas of asphalt. The department uses both hot- and cold-patch asphalt to improve pavement conditions. Roadways are swept on a regular basis to remove accumulated sand and debris.
Roadway line painting is conducted on an annual basis, and generally performed by an outside contractor. Recently the department has worked to improve safety for cyclists on campus by incorporating shared-use travel lanes and painted bike lanes on Cliff Drive as a test case.
Parking lots may be serviced by the department, but work in parking lots is directed and funded by Transportation Services.
Whether it’s a roadway or a parking lot, in both cases large scale rehabilitation projects and similar capital improvements are typically managed by Engineering Services.
If you have any questions about campus sidewalks or roadways please contact Facilities Management. Faculty, staff, and students can report concerns related to sidewalk and roadway conditions such as trip hazards or roadway hazards via a work request. If hazardous conditions warrant, please contact the Facilities’ emergency line (906-487-0001) so that a response can be expedited.