Water main projects in Colorado Springs: Coming to your neighborhood soon?
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — You may tend to think of water main projects as happening only on major streets, such as the current project on Galley Road and another scheduled to start this fall on 8th Street.
Actually, however, most of the more than 60,000 linear feet of replaced water mains from Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) last year occurred in neighborhoods.
One such project is in its third month, north of Cache La Poudre Street — covering two blocks of Corona Street and a block of Royer Street.
CSU is installing an eight-inch water main to replace the old main that is at least a century old.
Crews recently finished work on Royer Street, is currently working on Corona between Cache La Poudre and Tampa Street, and will next move a block north to San Rafael Street.
“Currently, there’s a water main in a nearby alley, and we’re going to be taking that one out of service and installing a brand new main in the roadway here,” said Alex Trefry, a CSU spokesman. “You can see that there’s a trench sort of through that middle of the roadway. And so, installing that new main also means we’re installing those new service lines. So, as that new main gets installed, we’re connecting the individual homes to it.”
Construction means that some neighbors have to park a block or so farther away, and the street is closed to all but local traffic.
“I rent a house with five other people, and we’re all moving out soon,” said Jacks Sawyer, a student at nearby Colorado College. “It won’t be easy for us to move if we don’t have access to our driveway.”
Other neighbors say that crews have been friendly and helpful, even to the point of helping to direct tge few people who can park on the street.
Aside from the water main project, another crew has completed concrete work — building curbs, gutters, sidewalks and ramps — to prepare for eventual repaving on Corona.
“I had a sidewalk that was so dangerous for probably 15 years,” said Jo Lynn Garlow. “It has finally been replaced, and it’s fantastic. And the crews were great.”
Trefry said that the old water main — in an alley between Corona and Royer — will not be removed for a number of reasons relating to safety, protecting the current infrastructure and disrupting the neighborhood routine.
CSU expects to finish the project this summer, at a cost of $1.6 million.