The second phase of the Southwest Quadrangle project will shift into high gear beginning this week and quiet during final exams in early December with excavation to begin in what was Lot 3. Minor disruptions are expected because of the accelerating construction.

Begun last year, the Southwest Quadrangle project is a building initiative that will feature a new 780-bed residence hall, dining hall and Jesuit residence that will sit atop an underground parking garage.

Workers began the second phase of the construction two weeks ago when they commenced the drilling and driving of over 800 steel ingots into the ground and bedrock, which reinforce the ground so the area can be accurately excavated. Clark Construction, the company overseeing the project, will embark on the initial digging to remove over 270,000 cubic yards of soil and rock.

Dump trucks will be running more frequently in and out of the Canal Road entrance to carry away about 22,500 dump truck loads, the total expected during the project. In a meeting last month, John Strong, the on-site project supervisor for Clark, said that during the first month of excavation, up to 1,000 trucks per day will run in and out of the site. This increase in traffic should not affect traffic in the Georgetown neighborhood, according to Strong.

Workers will fully complete the phase one of the project within the week when they pave the West Road near the tennis courts, power plant and McDonough Gymnasium. The first phase was focused on relocating utilities, such as natural gas and sewer lines as they were previously located where the parking garage under the new Southwest Quad will be. The second phase of the project, which began with the pile driving, involves excavating the area where the foundations of the buildings will go, as well as pouring the cement for the three parking garage levels.

Workers will also place a new storm drain line along Tondorf Drive at the corner of Harbin Field to eliminate rainwater build-up in the area. It is expected to hinder traffic, but the road will not close. To finish the utilities phase of the project, the company must excavate a large section of the floor in the Facilities Maintenance Garage located underneath the newly redone patio in front of Harbin Hall. Jackhammers will be used for this project from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., but it is not expected to disrupt student activity as much as the main excavation project will. Limited activity will continue after 10 p.m.

The Prospect Street entrance to the university was closed yesterday to repave the entrance and it was reopened at 3 p.m., according to schedule. This caused GUTS buses to take alternate routes and move the stops at Village C and the Car Barn to the Leavey Center and the corner of 35th and Prospect Streets, respectively.

The excavation will continue for about 25 feet, at which point the workers expect to run into bedrock. During the meeting last month, Strong said Clark would be blasting in order to break up the rock so they could reach the intended 50-foot depth. He indicated that the university will inform students before the blasting occurs, and students will hardly notice the dynamite. The company will then remove the rock loosened with small, controlled explosions. The excavation is expected to end 50 feet below grade, or surface level, which will be about 25 feet below the level of Canal Road. Strong put the timetable on the excavation at nine months.

The underground garage will be two levels of the four-level excavation, with a bus service area on the lowest level, parking on the next two and a kitchen and service facility for garbage and other services on the first subterranean level.

The project is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2003 and is expected to cost more than $120 million.