The Campus Tunnel System at UWO
On days when it’s really cold at Western, it’s good to know we have a tunnel system connecting most buildings on Main Campus. The downside is that it’s not a complete tunnel circuit. Yes, you can get from Middlesex College to Kresge without stepping outside, or Social Science to the UCC to Weldon without feeling the chill, and even Somerville House to Spencer Engineering without ever needing to don our Canada Goose parkas. But, there is a missing link: they don’t all connect to each other. Walking outside and breathing in the fresh air is certainly a good thing, but sometimes taking the tunnel is just a more appealing option.
Did You Know that there was a tunnel that connected Weldon to Somerville House? Chances are you missed it as it’s a dark abyss these days which is completely inaccessible from both ends. No entry, no exit.
On Western’s “Site Plan of Pedestrian Enclosed Walkways“, you can see that there is a tunnel connecting Weldon and Somerville house, but it is listed closed.
If you’ve ever photocopied in the basement of Weldon, you might have even stood next to the grand door that leads to the tunnel. Here are a few photos of the tunnel:
[cincopa AIDAVe6yUHQB]
If this tunnel was open, students could start their day at DaVinci’s in SEB, have lunch at Lucy’s in Somerville House, grab a coffee at Quotes in Weldon and have dinner in the Wave, all without every stepping out into the cold. Costly? Yes. But warm and dry? You betcha!
One of the library workers, who was a student 12 years ago and now works at Weldon, said the tunnel wasn’t open back when he was a student either. Does anyone know why the tunnel is closed?
If you are unfamiliar with the tunnel system at Western, check out this neat interactive map of UWO, complete with “How-To” styled videos about using the tunnels: http://www.blueskystudio.ca/geo342/index.html
Just thought it was interesting to think about as Weldon is for place of reading, and this is Reading Week! Anyone interested in working on a rendition of Elton John’s “Empty Garden“, appropriately re-named “Empty Tunnel”, message me.
Related Posts
BLOG: Are we growing too fast? →
BLOG: Another Year, Another Grand on Textbooks →
BLOG:Liberals Move Forward with Tuition Rebate Plan →
