Detroit St. Water Project Set, Traffic Restrictions Expected
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Indiana American Water announced work will be getting underway on a major water main replacement project next week after it receives road permits from the Indiana Department of Transportation. The project, which will replace approximately 2,400 feet of water main under Detroit Street north of Fort Wayne Street, will involve lane closures and traffic restrictions on the busy stretch of roadway through mid-summer 2011. According to Chris Harrison, Warsaw District Superintendent for Indiana American Water, “This project is a significant long-term investment that will help us to improve system reliability, water quality and fire protection capabilities to this area.” “We realize there will be some inconvenience and, at times, heavy traffic through this area.” Harrison said Indiana American Water is working with local officials to minimize those impacts and to make sure customers and emergency vehicles are able to access the businesses located along Detroit Street during the time this work is underway. The project will replace two existing water mains with a new 16-inch water main. The main replacement project is part of a $25 million infrastructure project in Warsaw that will enhance water quality, improve system reliability and enable the company to continue to meet the needs of its Warsaw customers. Improvements underway include construction of a new water treatment facility on Hidden Lake Drive, adding a new wellfield, and making numerous improvements to the Warsaw distribution system. During the first couple of weeks the project is underway, one lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained on the west side of Detroit Street to allow installation of new fire hydrants and lateral connections to the area where the new main will be located. After work on the hydrants and laterals is completed, one lane of northbound traffic will be switched to the eastern side of Detroit Street while one southbound lane will be maintained on the west side of the street. During this phase of the project, crews will begin excavation of the existing inside northbound lane of Detroit Street and begin installing a new 16-inch main water main. Once the water main installation is completed and is placed in service by the end of July, crews will be replacing the excavated lanes of Detroit Street with new concrete pavement that will be reopened to traffic by the end of August 2011. During the time crews are working in the middle portion of the street and pavement restoration work is underway, left turns will be prohibited on Detroit Street from Ft. Wayne Street to a point approximately _ mile north of the intersection. Concrete barrier walls will be placed next on the east side of the construction zone to increase safety for workers that will be in close proximity to northbound vehicles. Two separate short-term closures of Ft. Wayne Street through the Detroit Street intersection for several days will also be necessary during the project to allow workers to tie in the new water main to the existing distribution system and to replace an old valve at the south end of the project. Both northbound and southbound traffic on Detroit Street will be able to travel through the intersection while this work is underway.
