After nearly a month of classes being in session, students are still navigating around construction while walking through the Diag to classes. Three Diag improvement projects are still ongoing, including the replacement of old brick pavers and their concrete underlayment, enhanced drainage of low-lying areas of the sidewalk and the addition of an accessible ramp to the north entrance of the Hatcher Graduate Library.
The Diag improvements seek to repair damage both on the surface and underneath the central gathering area, with Michigan weather’s freeze-thaw cycles damaging the concrete base and continued use wearing down the brick pavers. The accessible ramp, which is compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act, will supplement the existing accessible entrance on the Graduate Library’s south side.
Both projects began in May, with the brick replacement project originally estimated to be finished on Aug. 15 and the east accessible ramp construction estimated to be finished on Aug. 29. In an email to The Michigan Daily, Marina Roelofs, the University’s co-interim associate vice president for facilities and operations, wrote new deadlines have been set for later this fall.
“The brick paver replacement is expected to be completed in September,” Roelofs wrote. “The Hatcher Ramp will be completed in October. On the Diag, the walkway portion of the drainage project is expected to be completed in September, with work north and west of Angell Hall continuing into late fall.”
Roelofs noted the delays for the brick paver and Graduate Library ramp projects were unexpected.
“The brick paver project, originally scheduled for completion in August, experienced delays following the discovery that the concrete subbase beneath the bricks was more deteriorated than original assessments indicated,” Roelofs wrote. “The Hatcher ramp project is also progressing after a delay due to the necessary replacement of deteriorated, underlying building stone that was not evident until the old ramp, which was not ADA-compliant, was removed.”
In addition to increasing accessibility and updating the brick pavers, work on the Diag will also create improved drainage systems that prioritize tree health. Before these construction projects, rainfall and snowfall led to large puddles on heavily trafficked flat sidewalk routes. Construction efforts have involved the reconstruction of sidewalks to create a slope that will direct water into catch basins, which will then release water back into the ground.
Other improvements include air spading aimed to loosen the soil around Diag trees and the addition of new compost added around the trees intended to improve root health. In some areas, earthworms are also being introduced to naturally aerate the soil over time.
Roelofs wrote the drainage and tree health projects remain on schedule and are expected to meet their designated completion dates on Oct. 17.
These construction projects have made it difficult to navigate campus for U-M students, including LSA freshman Claire Cowing. In an interview with The Daily, Cowing spoke about the impact the Diag construction projects have had on her first year.
“The first week that I was here, it was really hard to walk around the Diag and get through all the construction while also trying to understand where all the buildings were,” Cowing said. “Also, I feel like a big selling point that you hear in all the tours is the big M and ‘Don’t walk over it.’ And even though I don’t want to walk over it, I didn’t even get the chance to look at it, until recently.”
The University’s work is being done in conjunction with the city of Ann Arbor’s State Street Watermain and Resurfacing Project, which will create two protected bicycle lanes and a separate northbound transit lane. State Street will remain closed between South University Avenue and East William Street through mid-November 2025. Cowing said the construction on State Street makes it more challenging for her to navigate between her classes.
“The Diag construction wasn’t nearly as bad or inconvenient as the State Street construction, which is also probably pretty important, considering they’re digging up a whole street,” Cowing said. “It’s still really hard and confusing, especially due to the limited paths. You have to walk across all of State Street just to get to the other side. And then by that point, you’re already five minutes late, at least.”
In an interview with The Daily, LSA senior Eric Veal Jr., Central Student Government president, shared his concerns about the construction. He said that while he understands the importance of the projects, he feels they are negatively impacting the student experience.
“Students should be able to use the Diag at any time they need it, and the fact that this construction is taking place right now at all times, especially on the heels of parent and family weekend, it’s hard, and I think it also takes away from the beauty of our campus,” Veal Jr. said. “I’m very excited about the projects because it will help make our campus more accessible. But I just think right now, there also is a huge accessibility issue because there are so many students here.”
Veal Jr. said he hopes the University will collaborate with CSG and prioritize student feedback in future construction projects.
“I understand, with the current environment we’re in, prices are consistently changing, dates are having to be pushed back because of different shortages and other things like that,” Veal Jr. said. “But I simultaneously think that communicating with students, talking to student government … should be a huge priority when we’re talking about when these projects are happening, as well as having student feedback.”
Daily Staff Reporter Carter Carino can be reached at carinoc@umich.edu.
