MSU hires Olsson for Grand Street underpass project

Missouri State University is preparing for a transportation project on the south side of campus.

The MSU Board of Governors voted yesterday to award a professional services contract for the Grand Street pedestrian underpass to engineering firm Olsson Inc., said President Clif Smart. Olsson was selected to conduct its work for $323,160, plus reimbursable expenses, according to the board's agenda.

Olsson was hired as a consultant to provide design services, from schematics through post-construction, for improvements and an extension of the underpass that connects the campus to three parking lots with more than 1,350 spaces.

Design is slated to start this summer, with work expected to be complete by summer 2022, according to the agenda. The project features an Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible ramp system and an elevator.

The tunnel constructed in the 1980s currently is not accessible for people with physical disabilities.

MSU also intends to hire a construction manager at-risk for the project. The board is slated to consider bids on a qualifications-based selection process at a future meeting.

MSU's project comes as the city of Springfield intends to widen Grand Street based on a corridor study, according to the agenda. The widening cannot take place until the tunnel is extended.