[ The Daily Collegian
February 5, 1998

Underpass remains closed to student traffic
By DAVID SMITH

Spray-painted messages call out from the walls in loud colors: "IMPEACH REGAN" in dark red, "Summer of 86" in blue and "I got mad clout in herbville" in glittering metallic gold.

The paint has peeled off in a few places, exposing more paint underneath. Messages upon messages have been written on top of each other for years -- the walls are a giant chalkboard that has never been erased. The underpass at the intersection of Pollock and Shortlidge roads is dormant.

"It was a well-intentioned idea that simply did not work," said Paul Ruskin, spokesperson for Office of Physical Plant.

Construction of the underpass began in 1965. It had two tunnels: one that went under Shortlidge, which was demolished in 1993, and the remaining tunnel which crosses Pollock, Ruskin said.

Ruskin said the decision to close the Pollock tunnel was made in 1993 but he is unsure of when the gates were locked permanently. He estimates that it was during 1994.

The underpass was closed because almost no one used it, Ruskin said.

"People found it easier and faster to just walk across the street," he said.

Lisa Berkey, project manager for OPP, said the tunnel under Shortlidge was demolished as part of a larger construction project to widen the turning radius of the intersection for buses.

"Since the tunnel wasn't being used, it seemed logical to close it while we were widening the intersection," Berkey said.

Some students said they would use the tunnel if it were still open.

"It would make it a lot easier to cross, especially on Friday afternoon," said Jennifer Jesick (junior-theatre).

Matt Wirtz said with the increase of students on campus, the underpass would be very useful to pedestrians.

"I would definitely use it if it was open," said Wirtz (junior-commercial recreation management).

However, a 1986 article in The Daily Collegian quotes several students who disliked the underpass, saying it was "inconvenient, unnecessary, and out of the way," and "it's a waste of time to walk up and down all those steps, when you could just walk across the street."

Dwight Smith, University Police Services supervisor, said that even during rush hour, when the tunnel was open, people preferred to cross the street rather than use it.

"When the traffic is bad at that intersection there is an officer directing traffic, so pedestrians know they can just wait for the officer to stop traffic for them," Smith said.

Ruskin also said the tunnels were difficult to maintain. During the winter months the steps became very icy. Eventually, OPP began closing the underpass in the winter months due to its high maintenance and low use.

"It was a safety hazard because of slipping," said Ruskin.

Another safety concern was the threat of assaults in the underpass. But there have never been any serious crimes reported in the underpass, Smith said.

"I just figured it was closed because something bad happened there," said Marlena Tickerhoof (freshman-kinesiology).

Indeed, something bad did happen there.

According to a 1994 article in The Daily Collegian, on June 9, 1994, a 15-year-old boy was seriously injured while inline skating in the underpass. David Geoffroy attempted to jump a flight of stairs and fell backward on his head.

Because of this incident, and the threat of others like it, Smith said he would like to see the remaining tunnel demolished.

"The way it stands now it's just an attractive nuisance," Smith said.

The underpass has been gated shut for years. Its only use to OPP is as a back door to the utility tunnels under the road.



MAY 2012 UPDATE: The two photos below are the most recent I could find of the Underpass. In July of 2001 OPP either sealed off or completly filled in the Underpass in order to widen the intersection of Shortlidge and Pollock roads. Judging from the photos below, I believe the Underpass was completely filled in and nothing but the walls of the original tunnels remain.