Construction operations are taking place in the section of West Main between Penn Road and Ridge Avenue. This week's work focused on upgrading and improving the existing storm sewer system, which must be completed before the surface roadway work can be done.
A few notes from this week:
- The contractor is working 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday. While lanes are still constricted over the weekend, construction activities are out of the way Friday through Sunday, allowing a clearer route for weekend drivers.
- The old sewer system is quite antiqued, consisting of a hodgepodge of manholes and types of pipes and connectors assembled over 75 years. The new system now being installed will use the latest, best materials and construction methods, resulting in much greater efficiency.
- This week a total of 485 feet of new storm sewer pipe was installed, mostly under the westbound lanes. To install this storm sewer, the contractor must first excavate a trench approximately 8 feet deep and 6 feet wide. A gravel bed is placed the pipe is placed in the trench and then backfilled with gravel and sand.
- The new main can contain a volume of 22,000 gallons of water – a major improvement over the old system!
- A difficult aspect of this work: there are many new and old utility lines under Main Street, some of which have only been discovered upon excavation. New work must accommodate existing gas, water, electric, and sanitary sewer lines. This week’s closure on August 23 allowed for the relocation of 50 feet of existing water line across Main Street.
The work for next week will continue into the Ridge Avenue intersection, with improvements to the storm sewer system in that area.
The patience and understanding of the public, businesses, and property owners are very much appreciated. For more information, visit www.troyohio.gov/westmain. Questions can be answered by the City’s project manager, Dan Todd at mainstimprovements@primeeng.com.