By
Blake Smith
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Multiple construction projects, weather make it difficult for UA Facilities Management to fix
Dealing with complaints about road conditions around campus are just a part of the job for Mike Mencinger.
The UA Facilities Management Ground Services shop superintendent said opinions seem to only be voiced when road conditions are poor.
"People expect good streets," Mencinger said. "You only hear about the bad things."
But having smoothly paved streets and level sidewalks around the University of Arizona campus involves more than simple patchwork, he added.
It takes good timing, funding, and reports of damage from the general public, Mencinger said.
His street crew works long hours, going around campus looking for cracks to fill and pavement to replace.
"We don't see everything," he admitted.
Mencinger's job has gotten more difficult during the past few years.
"One of the biggest problems is this construction that is going on," the superintendent added.
With changing boundaries, the multiple construction projects around campus restrict the areas his crew can repair.
"It's a real ballet dance to get things done in an efficient manner," he said.
Roads around campus, like East First Street as well as North Campus Drive, are made worse by the constant movement of heavy construction vehicles and massive building materials.
"It wouldn't pay to do anything at this point," he said.
Noelle Feener, a communication freshman, agreed that construction probably contributes to deterioration of campus roads, especially on East Second Street and East First Street.
"There's a lot of potholes around there," Feener said. "I haven't noticed it as bad in other areas."
Mencinger said the university recently acquired the campus portion of East First Street from the city, and a package to repair the roadway is in the works.
But construction is not the only issue making Mencinger's job challenging.
The weather also limits the number of major repairs the street crew can make.
"Asphalt is like an elastic surface," he said. "It needs to be kneaded. When it just sits and gets exposed to the sun, it deteriorates."
Major repairs are usually done during the summer and winter break, but from a weather perspective, those are the worst times of the year for work to be done, Mencinger added.
"During both of those times, the biggest enemy is rain," he said. "But Christmastime is probably the best."
While roads composed of cement at the UA seem to deteriorate quickly, interstate highways are more resistant to the elements.
"Those roads are built to last forever," he said. "Federal funds pay the way for them."
Dealing with various road conditions around campus extend beyond Mencinger and his street crew, though.
Within the past year, the ASUA Escort Service has had to replace the brakes on their minivan twice and the tires once.
"The road conditions are bad," said Brooke Chumley, associate director of the escort service.
Chumley added that streets in need of repair could be partly to blame for parts replacement on the escort service van.
"We don't do much more driving than anybody else, and it's mainly on-campus," he said.
Mencinger said as hard as UA Facilities Management works to stay ahead of repairs, there are still people who think repairs are done at the most inconvenient times or are not done quickly enough.
"Somebody is always offended, but you try to do the best you can with what you have," Mencinger said.
A repaving project, tentatively planned for winter break, will give North Warren Avenue a facelift.
Mencinger said the project, which is a major thoroughfare for pedestrians using the nearby underpass, will not only include repaving but new sidewalks for the area near Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.
But until that time, Mencinger and his crew will continue patching and filling road problems around the university area.
