Current & Planned Elevator Outages or Construction Notices
Last updated April 8, 2026.
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Planned Construction
There are currently three construction projects coming up:
- University Heights North 2 elevator maintenance (April 13)
- Waterline repairs on Colchester Avenue (April 13 - April 20, minimum)
- Davis Center entry concrete replacement (May 18 - June 8)
- Waterman elevator repairs (June 9 - August 3)
1. University Heights North 2 Elevator Maintenance
The elevator at University Heights North 2 will be out of service on Monday, April 13 for maintenance. If you are a student who needs support with mobility in this area on this day, please contact Student Accessibility Services, or work directly with your Student Accessibility Specialist to arrange for support.
2. Waterline Repairs on Colchester Avenue
The City of Burlington will be repairing waterlines located under a portion of Colchester Avenue, beginning Monday, April 13, and continuing for at least a week. These repairs will affect Colchester Avenue between Mansfield Avenue and Fletcher Place. The portion of the road that will be affected is east of Mansfield Avenue, and will afffect the west-traveling lane of traffic. A second potential location of disruption will be just east of Fletcher Place.
- This work is estimated to take 1-2 weeks.
- Due to the location of the water main near the middle of the road, westbound traffic traveling west from East Ave will not be permitted (except local/emergency traffic only). Please follow posted detours or plan an alternate route. Please also plan extra time for your travel.
- Traffic control will be in place 24/7.
- Hours will be 6AM-6PM. As phases of the project shift, you may see gaps in work activity.
Please see the Burlington Department of Public Works construction announcement for additional details.
3. Davis Center entry concrete replacement
The eastern entry to the Davis Center (by the turnaround) will be closed May 18 through at least June 8, 2026, to replace the concrete. This may involve road closures; more information will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.
While the eastern entry to the building is closed, please plan to use the UVM Bookstore's emergency entrances for regular entry and exit to the Davis Center instead of the eastern entry.
4. Waterman Building Elevator Maintenance
The elevator in the Waterman Building will be unavailable from June 9, 2026 through approximately August 3, 2026, for maintenance.
Employees whose work may be impacted and who may require an accommodation due to a disability are encouraged to contact the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) to discuss available options. Where job duties permit, temporary accommodations may include modified work arrangements, including consideration of remote work.
For questions or to set up an accommodation request, please contact OAS by emailing access@uvm.edu, calling (802) 656-8610, or filling out our online contact form.
Elevator Outage Information
If an elevator outage or construction project prevents access to a class, office or meeting:
Physical accessibility barriers (such as elevator outages) may occasionally affect access to classrooms, offices, or meeting spaces. If you are unable to reach a classroom, workspace, or meeting due to a physical accessibility barrier, please take the following steps:
Students: Contact your instructor or Student Accessibility Services specialist as soon as possible to notify them that you are being prevented from accessing class. See below for additional information.
Employees (staff and faculty): Contact your supervisor, department, or meeting organizer, to notify them that there is a physical accessibility barrier preventing access to your workspace or meeting location. Departments should relocate meetings or make temporary arrangements whenever possible.
Accessibility assistance: Individuals who require disability related accommodations may contact the Office of Accessibility Services at access@uvm.edu or (802) 656-8610.
If you are currently stuck in a building:
If you are currently in a building and cannot safely exit because the elevator is out of service, or another construction issue is occurring, please contact UVM Police Services for assistance: call (802) 656-3473
If you become stuck in an elevator, use the emergency call button to reach building security or emergency responders.
Additional Information for Students
Residence Hall Elevator Outage
Residence Halls Without Elevators
Please note that the following buildings do NOT have elevators:
- Simpson
- Hamilton
- Coolidge
- Redstone
- Hunt
- McCann
- Ready
- Richardson
- Sichel
- Living/Learning Buildings
- Converse Hall
- The Cottages
If you are a UVM student who needs an elevator for accessibility, please work with Student Accessibility Services to make sure that you're placed in housing that meets all your needs.
Students Unable to Access Their Room
- Student Actions:
- Contact the Resident Assistant (RA) and/or front desk staff.
- RA/Front Desk Staff Actions:
- Contact the RET team or appropriate personnel to determine the availability of an alternative room for the student.
- If a room is available and accepted by the student:
- The RA or designated person will assist the student in retrieving items from their original room.
- If a room is not available or not accepted by the student:
- Explore the possibility of the student staying with a friend.
- Consider other available options.
- Determine if University Housing & Dining can provide transportation to the new location. If not, during hours of 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, check with the OAS Specialist to see if CatsRide is an option.
- Note: Depending on the situation and the duration of the repair, the student may be required to relocate for life safety reasons.
Student Unable to Leave Their Room
- Student Actions:
- Contact the RA to update the RET team or appropriate personnel.
- Fill out the Meal Request Form, designating a friend or RA to pick up meals.
- Contact their SAS Specialist.
- Student Accessibility Services Specialist Actions:
- Contact faculty if the student is unable to attend class in person
- Work with faculty to explore options for remote classes, recording classes, and providing note-takers in courses.
Academic Building Elevator Outage
Notification
- Student Notification: The student will contact their Student Accessibility Services Specialist regarding the elevator outage.
Student Accessibility Services Specialist Actions
- Contact faculty and the Registrar’s Office if the student is unable to attend class in person.
- Explore the following options:
- Convert the class to a hybrid format to allow remote attendance.
- Temporarily or permanently relocate the classroom, depending on the duration of the elevator outage.
Faculty Guidance for Elevator Outages
- Elevators are essential for students who cannot use stairs to access classrooms or offices. If an elevator outage prevents a student from attending class, please do not penalize the absence.
- Physical Plant Services usually inform us of outages, and we attempt to contact all professors with affected students. Even if you are not notified by our office, consider the student's communication as valid notification to excuse the absence and assist with acquiring missed materials.
- You can verify the date and time of elevator outages with the Office of Accessibility Services or Physical Plant Services.
Email notifications of physical accessibility barriers
Getting notifications in your email is a two-step process:
1. Please email listserv@list.uvm.edu with the following format: subscribe ELEVATORS [first_name] [last_name]
2. You will receive a confirmation email. Click the link in the confirmation email to activate your subscription.
Email notifications of physical accessibility barriers
Getting notifications in your email is a two-step process:
1. Please email listserv@list.uvm.edu with the following format: subscribe ELEVATORS [first_name] [last_name]
2. You will receive a confirmation email. Click the link in the confirmation email to activate your subscription.