Photo by: Jacob Rokeach
Walking and driving on and around campus over the past week has become a test of people’s agility and balance (with a little luck thrown in for good measure). Three major snowfalls over the course of three weeks in Denver have left the DU campus covered in a white blanket. Cold temperatures overnight have not helped. The snow freezes, resulting in icy pathways frequented by students and faculty on their way to class.
While the fresh snow may seem a blessing to some, particularly skiers and snowboarders, it can also be extremely dangerous. Fresh snow falling on roads and walkways on campus can cover ice from previous snowfalls, making driving and walking much more difficult.
With 47 inches of snow falling on campus over winter break and huge drifts in some areas, the Department of Facilities Management at DU has been working since the first snowstorm to clear central campus and make it safer to walk.
Jeff Bemelen, director of facilities management, calls these efforts a “demanding operation” and notes that this is the “most snow we’ve had to contend with” since he began working at DU almost 30 years ago.
The “priority is to try and get walkways cleared” said Bemelen. This is done by shoveling snow off the walkways and applying de-icer, a calcium chloride solution that breaks down the ice and then melts it.
Variations in temperature have proven to be a major obstacle, however, as the snow moved to the sides of the walkways melts then refreezes. As a result, facilities management has to repeat the previous day’s work in order to keep walkways safe. It is a “constant vigil on our part to keep those [walkways] safe” said Bemelen.
The snowfall last Friday is not comparable to the previous two snowstorms, but it did cover layers of frozen snow. The facilities management team is scraping, applying de-icer, and covering the slippery paths with sand in order to “minimize risks” said Bemelen.
While facilities management focuses on walkways and central campus, those who drive to and from campus may wonder what is being done to clear the incredibly bumpy and icy roads around campus. According to Bemelen, those are “city streets” and DU has “no authority” to plow them.
Bemelen is endeavoring to work out an agreement with the city for future storms. This agreement would allow DU to hire contractors approved by the city to clear surrounding streets.
Until all of the streets and walkways are cleared, Bemelen’s advises that everybody should “walk carefully and be aware there may be ice underneath.”
“In these conditions it is impractical to assume they [facilities management workers] will get all icy spots on campus,” said Bemelen.
Until the snow is cleared, be sure to tread carefully and, if possible, go to the mountains where this amount of snow is not a potential hazard but the sign of an awesome day for riding.
If you notice any overlooked areas, he urges you to call the department and notify them. The Department of Facilities Management can be reached at 303-871-2200.
