Incoming students and visitors can anticipate the UW-Madison campus undergoing a number of construction projects this summer. The construction plans aim to preserve, renovate and add new buildings to campus.

It is unusual for UW-Madison to have this much construction simultaneously.

“This constitutes the biggest construction boom since 1960,” Dennis Chaptman, University Communications spokesperson, said.

A $40 million addition to Grainger Hall, home of the Wisconsin School of Business, will open this September. A $33.4 million renovation will improve the Education building starting September 2008 and ending in 2010. A $117 million project will connect the Agricultural Journalism building to the Biochemistry Building, with construction beginning this fall.

Renovation of Chadbourne Hall should be completed in May, and work on the $144 million Interdisciplinary Research Complex is expected to be completed by the building’s opening this fall.

Other building projects like a renovation to Sterling Hall, a warehouse addition to the Kohl Center and Washburn Observatory renovations will take place during the upcoming year.

“The main idea of the construction is to upgrade student life and research buildings and to improve transportation to make it safer for bikes and buses on campus.” Alan Fish, UW-Madison associate vice chancellor for facilities, said.

The $57 million university-owned wing of University Square will open January 2009 and is expected to represent how construction can greatly improve functions on campus.

“One of the projects that students will be most benefited by is the University Square redevelopment,” Chaptman said. “It will improve campus activities with University Health Services, offices for the registrar, bursar, financial services, and an office and meeting space for student groups.”

Minor inconveniences are the only negative aspect that construction should cause, university officials said.

“The construction companies do a good job making sure their site is safe and has the least impact to the surrounding environment,” University of Wisconsin Police Sgt. Jason Whitney said.

The goal of campus improvements, like those taking place within the next year, is to expand the realm of possibilities for education.