Construction takes place on the Southern Avenue parking garage and pedestrian bridge. Construction is slated to be finished by the spring semester of 2020.
The pedestrian bridge, first announced in 2017, is finally taking shape and has a scheduled opening.
The principal of Haizlip Studio and University of Memphis alumna Mary Haizlip said she was excited.Â
“The UofM is so near and dear to our hearts,†Haizlip said. “The project went out for advertisement for designer selection by the Tennessee Board of Regents. (Haizlip Studio) submitted our proposal and were selected.â€
Students’ safety while crossing the train tracks is not a new concern for the UofM. The stairs and gates around the tracks were put in place to improve the ability to cross safely. Â
Haizlip, who graduated in 1999, said students would cross however they could, including climbing over stopped trains. With this refocus on student safety, Haizlip said she is proud of her firm’s selection.
“We take great pride in this project,†Haizlip said. “Not only because most of our team are UofM alumni, but it’s also been a great experience collaborating with the UofM.â€
Flint Co., a company that also worked on the project, Superintendent Matt Hamilton expressed the same excitement.Â
“The school has been great to work with,†Hamilton said. “We have meetings on a bi-weekly timeframe. We will go over schedule, any possible issue that may come up, financials and stuff. They’ve been great to work with on my end for sure.â€
Construction takes place on the Southern Avenue parking garage and pedestrian bridge. Construction is slated to be finished by the spring semester of 2020.
The construction company collaborated with the school to keep students from wandering into dangerous situations on site. Additionally, both Flint Co. and Haizlip Studio have coordinated with Norfolk Southern Railroad.Â
“We’ve had several coordination meetings with Norfolk Southern Railroad to schedule the work with them,†Hamilton said. “They’ve had to send a flagman out. Any time we go over railroad property, the flagman tells us when we can make lifts.â€
Haizlip collaborated with Northfolk to ensure the trains would be able to travel safely and without extensive delay.
“There are so many moving parts, and we’ve made a coordinated effort with Northfolk,†Haizlip said. “We had to design the bridge so it could be built in two pieces off-site, and then lifted into place in a very short period to minimize train delays.â€
Other factors also play into the construction of the parking garage and the bridge.
“The weather affects us every day, whether that’s rain, cold or wind,†Hamilton said. “(The wind) prevents us from lifting the concrete forms and attaching them to the pylons.â€
Those pylons are a key design structure, adding aesthetics and cable support to the bridge.
“The bridge had to be a really iconic structure,†Haizlip said. “It couldn’t just be a walkway. We wanted it to be a centerpiece.â€
The bridge and parking garage are scheduled to be open by August 2019. It is possible the parking garage will be finished and opened sooner if it is deemed safe.
