Construction blocks off Fifth Street

Workers dig a drainage tunnel Monday in front of the Bill Daniel Student Center for the new fountain on Fifth Street. The construction is fenced off down most of the street.  Hannah Haseloff | Lariat Photographer
Workers dig a drainage tunnel Monday in front of the Bill Daniel Student Center for the new fountain on Fifth Street. The construction is fenced off down most of the street.
Hannah Haseloff | Lariat Photographer

By Jenna Press
Assistant City Editor

The fences outlining the construction of the future fountain site are up on Fifth Street, one of the most highly-trafficked areas on campus, and students will need to find routes around them for the rest of the semester.

The fences will stretch all the way from Speight Circle to MP Daniel Esplanade, the street between the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat and the Bill Daniel Student Union Building. Students will be able to cut through the construction area near Carroll Science Hall and Morrison Hall.

San Antonio freshman Heather Smith said the fence is somewhat inconvenient right now since it can get somewhat crowded around the area.

“There’s not a lot of space to cross Fifth Street over there,” Smith said.

According to an email from Baylor NewsFlash, bicycles and mopeds can no longer be ridden on Fifth Street, and bike racks will be relocated as close as possible to the original spots of Fifth Street.

Fort Worth junior Daniel Boerner said the fences were annoying because they didn’t move the bike racks out of where the construction was going to be.

“Having the street fenced off also means more bikes are going to be on the sidewalks, so that will cause some frustration for people trying to walk to class,” Boerner said.

The renovations will add a memorial fountain, but will still allow for homecoming floats and emergency vehicles to pass through as necessary.

The improvements to Fifth Street also include a new water line, sewer line and drainage system.