Accessibility Project Underway at Cape Cod Community College

WEST BARNSTABLE – A construction project is underway at Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable that will dramatically improve accessibility on its campus.

The $2.5 million project is funded through the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and will rebuild three areas on campus to allow for easier and more accessible travel.

“This project is really great because it will really make the campus more accessible to people who have needs to get around a little bit easier, but also just generally walking around,” said Patrick Stone, the college’s spokesman.

The first of three phases will rebuild the “main entrance” to campus from the flag poles to Grossman Commons by replacing a series of ramps and stairs with a single ADA compliant ramp.

“This first phase is really important because in many ways it is the main entrance for so many people when they come on to the campus, especially those who take the bus,” Stone said.

The second phase will create a similar path between the Nickerson Building and Wilkens Library.

“If you have been on campus there are a lot of stairs over there, a lot of up and down,” Stone said. “That’s really going to flatten out fill in some areas so there will be one continuous pathway basically from the center of campus to the Wilkens Library.”

The third phase will repave the pathway behind Grossman Commons leading to the WKKL Radio Station, Lorusso Technology Building and the Life Fitness Center.

“It will really repave what is broken road, cracked sidewalk and things like that,” Stone said.

All phases are expected to be finished this June.

Areas of campus will be closed to foot traffic during each phase of construction.

During the first phase the college is recommending visitors who would normally use parking lot 1 to use lots 3 and 4 and enter through the stairs leading to the Wilkens Library.

Through a statewide RFP process, Jones Architecture was awarded the design contract for the project and Sciaba Construction is completing the contracting work.