For students at the University of Massachusetts this fall, the struggle of trudging to class across the large campus goes beyond the cold temperatures and fierce wind chill, as students also face the inconvenience of major construction sites obstructing many routes to class.

Current construction projects include the Central Campus Infrastructure Project, the New Academic Classroom Building and the Champions Center.

The Central Campus Infrastructure Project began Jan. 2013 and is projected to continue through this month. According to UMass Amherst Design and Construction Management, the project’s purpose is to “improve existing capacity and install new utilities in the area while supporting the planned development of new buildings.”

Construction for the project begins at the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Complex and extends through the center of campus all the way to the location of the new academic building.

As a result of this construction, the pathway from the W.E.B. Du Bois Library to the Student Union has been narrowed by fences on both sides. For many students, this poses a challenge for travelling across campus, as the project cuts into one of the busiest parts of campus.

Project Manager Jason Venditti said that the project is estimated to end after November. If the scheduling goes as planned, this means that students will only have to walk through the congested pathway for the remainder of the month.

The New Academic Classroom Building is another construction site located at the center of campus that, despite temporarily blocking pathways across campus, will benefit UMass in the near future. UMass Design and Construction Management reported that the four-story, 173,000-square-foot structure will offer 2,000 seats in more than 60 new rooms. The building will also include case study rooms and an auditorium.

“Few campuses boast a large pond as their iconic center and this modern new building at its edge will reflect the spirit of sustainability and natural environment that are part of the planning and engineering design,” said UMass Design and Construction Management on its website.

With big hopes for this new facility, there is still much to do. Project Manager Jeff Quackenbush estimated that the project will be completed in spring 2014.

For the time being, however, construction will still interfere the regular flow of traffic on campus. Through November, some of the biggest interruptions will take place on North Pleasant Street, where the construction will shift access for cars. Construction fence lines will remain the same for the remainder of the month.

The Champions Center is one of the other major construction sites on campus, located just south of the Mullins Center. According to the UMass Design and Construction Management website,  “It will be designed to be a compatible and respectful neighbor to the Mullins Center and Student Recreation Center while making the most of its exquisite site and incredible views.”

The construction of the Champions Center has less of an effect on students’ daily lives, because its location on the fields next to the Mullins Center does not serve as a barrier for students travelling on campus.

The University expects this project to be completed by late summer 2014 and occupation of the facility to begin in fall 2014.

Katrina Borofski can be reached at [email protected].