In order to maximize the efficiency of travel across Lincoln, the University of Lincoln-Nebraska will build an underground tunnel between the City and East campuses later this year.

The tunnel will be built to connect the two campuses, with the entrances emerging right outside of the two unions. Chancellor Ronnie Green said that the tunnel would help provide a safe way for students to get from campus to campus.

“Students should be able to travel to both campuses in a convenient and orderly fashion,” Green said. “By building this tunnel, we can offer this to them at little to no cost.”

Tunnel design plans revealed a three-foot-high passage running 200 feet underneath the surface level. Although the tunnel will start small, students are free to burrow the walls to increase the diameter.

“This will definitely increase student involvement and cooperation by working as a team to increase the size of the crawl space, which we hope will turn into a walk space,” said UNL engagement director Morgan Williamson, who is helping to plan the construction.

UNL officials hope that the tunnel will grow twice as large in the first year, growing with every semester. Students are encouraged to carry small pickaxes with them to hasten the process.

“Of course, we are asking a lot from our students here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,” Williamson said. “But we believe that our students can do great things, which is why we’ve trusted them with making this project work.

Since the tunnel goes so deep, students are advised to carry a canary with them, in order to detect any poisonous gasses present in the tunnel. The birds will be available at the Union Bookstore for only $9.99.

“We care about the students’ safety,” Williamson said. “The birds are a quick solution toward reaching this level of safety, at an affordable price.”