Climate Action Plan Construction Information | Climate Action Plan

In Spring 2023, Amherst will begin work on the decarbonization of the campus’ energy system—one of the most necessary and ambitious projects in the College’s history.

Part of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) is the transition of the campus’ heating and cooling systems from steam to a modern low-temperature hot water geothermal system. This is a critical infrastructure project that will take place over the next decade and require most campus buildings to be retrofitted for this technology change. Learn more about how this system works.

The CAP is the College’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. While undertaking this important work, the College will also begin to decommission Merrill.

Construction updates and notices will be added to this page. Please check back often for new developments. The campus community will also be notified of construction updates through the Daily Mammoth.

See an archive of previous CAP work and construction maps on our CAP Timeline Archive.

Construction at Merrill Site—September 25

In the event you might have seen an unusual scene at the Merrill construction site on Monday, the "high reach" excavator being used to dismantle Merrill tipped forward while descending an incline on the jobsite. Importantly, no one was injured. The construction site is currently shut down while the contractor determines the cause of the mishap and how to prevent it from occurring again. The machine is currently stable and resting on its boom.

Construction Timeline

Campus Construction as of Sept. 1

Description of Work & Impacts

After a very busy summer, a few notable areas of construction will remain active during the semester:

Student Center & Dining Commons

Merrill demolition continues down to the third-floor level through late fall. There will be considerable noise.
Trucks will be entering / exiting via East Drive.
Construction will take place at the mock-up area east of Hitchcock Field.

Climate Action Plan (CAP)

Work continues in Barrett Hill Road through September. There will be occasional one lane traffic.
Construction continues in the fenced work area south of Beneski.
Mechanical room connections take place in various buildings.

Lyceum

Limited interior finish work will take place on weekends.
Landscaping will continue through mid-October.
PV panels will be installed on roof with completion in early October.

LeFrak Roofing Replacement

Roofing continues into early October.
Gym will remain operational throughout roofing replacement.
Scaffolding and contractor staging area remain into early October.

Wayfinding and Signage Program

Signage installation across campus through the semester.

Northampton Road and College Street

The state continues to rebuild Northampton Road including sidewalks and crosswalks.
Eversource continues to install electrical utilities along College and Dickinson Streets.