A metal fence on the Davis Center lawn surrounds the spot where a new concrete sidewalk will be laid on the remnants of the old dirt “cowpath.”

            With an estimated cost of $25,000, the project is scheduled for completion in October, said Bob Vaughan, director of capital planning and management.

            “We’ve concentrated this year in trying to hit as many of the sidewalk needs as we can,” Vaughan said. “It will allow us to have a pedestrian walkway even in the winter because we can plow it.”

             The change comes in the midst of other sidewalk initiatives, including a facelift to those that cut through the University Green, in an effort to more efficiently manage pedestrian and bike traffic patterns.

            To ensure longevity, several layers will comprise the walkway, including a base support under the poured concrete surface. It will also be illuminated at night by ground lights.

            “You can’t have a cowpath,” Vaughan said. “There’s a lot of traffic on that stretch, and I think it will be a good improvement.”

            But improvement or not, some students said they are finding fault with the sidewalk’s price tag.

            “Are you kidding me? I could do that for ten bucks,” junior Andrea Goodrich said. “You take a John Deere and plow through the grass. It seems like the University is throwing away money.”

            Asked if he thought the old “cowpath” was in need of an update, sophomore Jacob Giannoni said he agreed with Goodrich.

            “Not at all, [it’s] a waste of money,” he said. “A dirt path will work just as well.”