The Office of the Physical Plant is taking advantage of the summer's smaller student population to continue and complete a total of 133 construction and renovation projects on campus.

"We do as much as we can during the summer so that many projects are completed by the time students get back in the fall," said Paul Ruskin, communications coordinator for OPP.

Students will find construction sites across the entire campus, with some resulting in minor traffic detours.

A stretch of Curtin Road between Allen Street and Rec Hall will be closed to replace one of the oldest water lines on campus until the annual meeting of the National Governors' Association begins on July 8, Ruskin said.

"We will have it back to normal for the big events," Ruskin said.

If the pipeline is not replaced it might present flooding problems, Ruskin said, adding the university will also take this opportunity to repave that section of road.

"The increasing population and heavier vehicles have had a negative effect on the road throughout the years," Ruskin said.

After the 34th Annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts concludes on July 16, OPP will begin work on the stretch of Curtin Road that is east of Allen Street. To facilitate traffic, Pollock Road will be open to traffic 24 hours a day for the duration of the Summer Session.

Work will also continue throughout the summer and into the fall on the additions to the White Building. With expenditures totaling $9 million, Ruskin said the project is about 75 percent complete and should wrap up near the end of November.

Once completed, the White Building will feature a new swimming pool, spa and a fitness area. "These additions will directly benefit students," Ruskin said.

Work also continues on Atherton Hall, adjacent to the White Building, but renovations are near completion.

"This will provide additional student space and offices for Schreyer Honors College and Residence Life," said Fred Fotis, director of housing.

The remaining work consists of some exterior work and the completion of the stairway leading to College Avenue, Fotis added.

Additional renovations and construction across campus include buildings in South Halls, which are being rewired, and elevators in Simmons and McElwain halls, which will be replaced, Fotis said.

A new visitor center, a joint venture between Penn State and the Centre County Convention and Visitors Bureau located on the corner of Park Avenue and Porter Road, is also near completion.

"We will start moving our offices on July 3 and we're hoping by the end of the week it will be open," said Betsey Howell, executive director of the Visitors Bureau.

The multi-purpose center will feature a 130-seat auditorium, a retail shop managed by the Student Book Store, a cyber cafe and five pavilion areas with interactive detailing of historic buildings, Howell said.

The center will host exhibits and house offices for the bureau, parking office and University Relations. It will also provide standard information about Penn State and Centre County, Howell said.

"Visitors can expect to find a very welcoming environment," Howell said.

The parking lot for the center is an experiment in a new type of paving method, Ruskin said. The lot is constructed of permeable pavement to act as a filtration system.

"It uses various levels of gravel to absorb water directly into the ground," Ruskin said. "It's very environmentally friendly."

Ruskin added the exterior of the building would feature natural landscaping with plants arranged as they would be found in natural Pennsylvania landscape.

"It will look unusual at first," Ruskin said. "But the purpose is to show the way Pennsylvania landscaping really is."

Another unusual sight might be the 1,000-ton crane, the largest construction crane in the country, which will come to University Park near the end of July to lift the new scoreboard at Beaver Stadium.

"There's only two of these 1,000-ton cranes in the United States," Ruskin said. "It's really going to be a spectacular sight."

The massive $93 million renovation project on Beaver Stadium is currently on schedule and will be interrupted for football weekends throughout the fall, Ruskin said.

Students can get updates on construction at www.opp.psu.edu.