Katie Ward, Staff Writer

 “Please be patient and bear with us,” said Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs Jane Helm, speaking of the repaving of several Appalachian State University roads.
 
 Streets are being repaved one area at a time in order to accommodate the flow of traffic, without stopping traffic completely, Helm said.
 
 Affected streets include those running beside Whitener Hall and the street that cuts between Cone and White Residence Halls.
 
 Although patching the streets in sections is time consuming, according to Helm this is a more effective method.
 
 “We cannot afford to just shut down the streets totally,” Helm said.  “This method allows traffic to flow (more easily).”
 
 For weeks, students have also been mesmerized by the mystery of the sidewalks.  The numerous holes spotting the walkways have proven to be a hazard as well as an eyesore.
 
 According to Helm, this too is part of the repaving process.  Roads, sidewalks and curbs will continue to be affected until project completion.
 
 Although it may appear that the construction and road work is occurring all at once, the university has little control over the calendar, Helm said.
 
 Money for this type of project is appropriated from the General Assembly.  As soon as money is released by the state it must be put to use, Helm said.
 
 “We have to complete the projects when the money is released so that the next projects can begin,” Helm said.  “If it were up to us, we would have repaved during the summer when there were fewer students.”
 
 According to Helm, the project could have been delayed a year.  However, this would have been more expensive.
 
 Helm admits that the university needs to work on their communication with students.  Faculty and staff members were informed of the renovations through e-mail.  However, students are not on the same system, and were therefore not notified of renovations.
 
 Helm hopes that these renovations have not affected the attitudes of perspective students.  She urged that these projects should be seen as progress and viewed in a positive light.
 
 “I hate to think that someone would make a decision about our university based on this,” Helm said.
 
 To ease students’ minds, Helm assured that there have not been any problems with safety.  She feels that students cannot drive fast enough to cause safety to be an issue.
 
 The projects are expected to see their completion by the close of the academic year.
 
 The weather is an important factor in completion.  Although students can expect renovations of this type in the future, they will not be as extensive, Helm said.
 
 Future renovations include the widening of Hardin St., to begin within the coming weeks.
 
 Although the first phase of renovation will only encompass around 600 feet, the remainder of Hardin St. will see its share of construction workers in the future.
 
 Students and faculty alike are experiencing inconveniences from the project.
Helm said she is included in that group. “I know this is an inconvenience for me.  I usually drive between the dorms to get home, and I cannot do that anymore,” Helm said.
 
 Students have also expressed concern, said D.J. Scott, a junior from Morganton. “This is a real problem to those who ride the bus and to those living in the dorms.  However, it needs to be done because the roads are in bad condition,” said Scott.
 
 Road work has also taken its toll on several AppalCart routes. AppalCart Transportation Director Chris Turner said the continuous road work has slowed traffic and delayed busses.
 
 “Ongoing road work has made it difficult to stay on time.  Instead of going west, drivers have to go east and make a left turn,” Turner said.
 
 “We look forward to completion of the construction,” he said.
 
 Turner said few formal complaints have been filed with the AppalCart office.
However, students are getting frustrated as they wait for  buses that never come, or that arrive later than they should, he said.
 
 Phil Cathcart, a freshmen from Charlotte, expressed his solution to dealing with the problem of renovation.
 
 “I told my parents not to plan on visiting until the year 2003!” Cathcart said.
 

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