Underground overhaul

Published on Show Me Mizzou Aug. 27, 2024
Story by Blaire Leible Garwitz, MA '06
Photos by Nicholas Benner

Nearly two miles of dark, serpentine tunnels run beneath campus. They house some of the 26 miles of utility steam lines that help power Mizzou. Originating in the 1880s, the steam tunnel under the Francis Quadrangle has been undersized for modern needs and was in poor condition. Over the summer, Mizzou energy management engineers, including Tim Gephardt (pictured), began replacing this tunnel with a larger concrete one that will provide capacity for future growth on campus. When the tunnel is finished on Nov. 1, work will begin on the hard surface of the Quad's south end to expand it into a larger gathering space for students and for events held in front of Jesse Hall. Over the summer, turf was replaced after regrading, irrigating and resodding, which will improve drainage and better accommodate the Quad's heavy use.

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MIZZOU magazine Fall 2024