Amarillo outlines downtown water main project
The City of Amarillo held a public meeting last week at the downtown library to update the public on the upcoming downtown water main replacement project.
City staff was on hand to answer questions, provide information and hear concerns from the public about the project. The project's aims will be water main replacements, sanitary sewer retrogrades and pavement repairs to the downtown area around Ninth Avenue. Work is expected to begin by April.
The water main under the BNSF railroad tracks on SE Ninth Avenue was first installed in 1918. According to Jackson Zaharia, a city engineer for the city of Amarillo, many of the pipes have never been replaced. Many pipes are still very old and badly need replacing.
Streets affected by the project will be Johnson, Grant and Arthur from SE Fifth to Ninth Ave. At the beginning of the project, alleys between Johnson and Grant Avenue will be the most affected.
There will be some traffic control in these areas for pipe, curb and gutter repair. The department does not expect any long water outages in the area and if there are any there any they are expected to be two hours or less.
Amarillo City Council awarded a $2.2 million contract to Amarillo Utility Contractors, Inc., according to a statement from the city. The contract includes provisions to help minimize the impact to neighborhood traffic. Residents may want to find alternate routes at various times throughout the project. Motorists are advised to use extreme caution and anticipate delays.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo outlines downtown watermain project
