With the demolition of the Wisconsin Avenue Bridge slated for next month, students gathered Monday night in Straz Tower to learn more about the project and problems which are likely to come as a result of the demolition.

The panel discussion included a presentation of the plan for the bridge, where the Marquette Interchange Project currently is and where it is headed.

The four members on the panel included Toby Peters, associate vice president for the Office of Administration; Rick Arcuri, associate dean for administration of Residence Life; Jim Koster, consulting interchange engineer for the Office of Administration; and Katie Higgins, Department of Public Safety Sergeant in preventive services.

Peters said he wanted to make sure students are "clearly informed about what's going to transpire."

The Wisconsin Avenue Bridge will close on Jan. 2, 2006. Demolition of the Wisconsin Avenue Bridge is scheduled to begin Jan. 6 , said Peters, who is also the primary liaison for the university with the state on the reconstruction project.

Dining options in Straz Tower will be expanded. Brunch and dinner options will be available on the weekend, Arcuri said.

"It will be limited to a grab-and-go option," he said, possibly including a soup and sandwich.

Peters also discussed a new way for Straz residents to go back and forth to the rest of campus. A "safe, well-lit, unobstructed pathway out the back door of Straz Tower down Tory Hill" will be used to get students safely to classes and activities, he said.

Among the questions students raised during the discussion was the possibility of noise affecting students. Koster said noise could be a problem for students come January — workers on the bridge will begin their day at 7 a.m.

However, the discomfort and inconvenience caused by the construction will eventually be replaced by easier travel and a more appealing campus.

"It's just a matter of getting through these next two and a half to three years, by the time it's all finished," Peters said.

Another question involved the use of AXIS TV for information regarding the best route to take to campus.

College of Arts & Sciences sophomore Sarah Degen , who is president of the Residence Hall Association, attended the discussion.

"With this bridge going out, it's going to be a big change for the students who live in Straz," Degen said.

Degen, who lives in Straz Tower, said she learned more about the student safety programs surrounding the project.

Straz Tower resident Pat Landry, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and an MUSG senator, attended the event to clarify topics regarding the construction project.

"I wanted to get finalized information, hopefully send out an e-mail informing people of the situation and what will be done to accommodate their needs," Landry said.

Landry has attended meetings in the past regarding the construction project.

"I would have liked a little bit more people to have come from" Straz Tower, Landry said, "but schedules are busy and I am going to do my best to make sure they know what's going on."

Landry did not think "as many people knew about the event as probably should have," he said. He said the event could be better publicized.

Peters said he was pleased with the student turnout and the questions that students asked.

"These are important things that students need to understand so that they can manage around whatever disruptions there might be for them," he said.,”James A. Molnar”

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