The Office of Planning and Facilities Management informed the Georgetown University community Sept. 10 about a broken pipe underneath the sidewalk next to Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall.
Facilities Management sent four emails to the Georgetown community from Sept. 10 to Sept. 12 with updates on the emergency pipe repair, stating in the initial email they could not estimate the duration of the repair. Although Facilities Management said that the pipe repair would be completed by Sept. 11, the construction’s completion was delayed until Sept. 13, limiting Tondorf Road, between Leo’s and New South Hall, to one lane on Sept. 10. The road was closed completely except for emergency vehicles and pedestrian walkways from Sept. 11 to Sept. 13.
A university spokesperson confirmed the pipe’s repair and identified that Tondorf Road remained open for pedestrian traffic and emergency vehicles.
“A pipe broke on the morning of September 10 underneath the sidewalk on the east side of Leo O’Donovan Dining Hall that required an emergency repair,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya.
“As a result of the repair, a section of the road between New South and O’Donovan was closed to vehicle traffic, although pedestrian and emergency vehicle access was maintained,” the spokesperson added. “The entrance and exit to Leo’s was not impacted. The pipe has now been repaired and the road has been reopened to vehicle access.”
Three students who live in the Southwest Quadrangle — a residential area adjacent from Leo’s — expressed concern over the lack of transparency and the inconvenience of being updated from Facilities Management through daily email reports.
Gabriela Martinez (CAS ’27), a Kennedy Hall resident, said that the smell of the pipe construction was pungent enough to be detected throughout campus, including on the Harbin Terrace, which is located roughly 500 feet from Leo’s.
“It smelled like sewage, and you could smell it all the way up to Harbin patio,” Martinez told The Hoya. “The smell was even seeping into Leo’s. So when you went to get food from Leo’s, you could smell the sewage from outside.”
Martinez added that she wished Facilities Management had been more transparent with the Georgetown community at the beginning of the pipe construction, instead of sending daily updates throughout the construction process. She added that a lack of communication from Facilities Management caused a scene of confusion among students on campus as to what areas were walkable.
“I know a lot of people who were like, ‘I had to walk up the hill instead of going on the road just because I wasn’t sure if it was open,’” Martinez said.
Ruby Lillie (CAS ’27), a resident of McCarthy Hall, added the construction created a scene of disorientation, especially with all the moving construction equipment.
“The construction was loud and chaotic. It could be quite stressful trying to cross the street by Leo’s with the amount of moving construction vehicles in the area,” Lillie wrote to The Hoya. “Many students were unsure of where and how to cross the street without getting in the way.”
Francis Rienzo (CAS ’27), another resident of Kennedy Hall, said he was concerned about the extended duration of the project, especially since it created confusion for students attempting to access Prospect Street behind the Healey Family Student Center (HFSC) from the corner of Leo’s.
“My concerns about the pipe repair are the longevity and intensity of the project,” Rienzo wrote to The Hoya. “Not only is it causing human traffic jams getting into Leo’s, it’s also stopping the flow of auto traffic going in and out of Prospect behind the HFSC.”
Rienzo added that he was increasingly worried about the safety hazards posed by the pipe repair and the closure of one lane of Tondorf Road.
“It can be dangerous for students who consistently walk around this area when going to the Southwest Quad, Leo’s or the HFSC. If it continues, it can cause continual traffic problems,” Rienzo said.
The university spokesperson added that the university apologizes for the inconvenience of the repair.
“We apologize to the campus community for any inconvenience the repairs may have caused and thank everyone for their patience and understanding,” the spokesperson said.
Martinez said the ongoing pipe repair construction also impeded individuals from going to other spaces around campus, including the Office of Student Equity and Inclusion (OSEI) in the basement of New South, across from Leo’s.
“As far as walking around it when they had the two paths closed off, it was a little difficult to tell what was open from time to time. I know the OSEI had to send a message like, ‘We’re still open,’ but I don’t think anyone felt able to go into the OSEI space,” Martinez said.
Martinez added that she hopes Facilities Management will be transparent about ongoing construction projects so students can better plan for road closures and take extra precaution when walking around campus.
“I just wish they’d be more honest with what happened,” Martinez said. “It’s okay if it’s gonna take a week. I just wish you would tell me that in advance so I could plan in advance.”