Work begins in earnest this week on what are being called “warranty repairs” for part of Emporia’s 24th and Prairie waterline replacement project.
Prairie has been blocked just north of 12th since Friday — and City Engineer Jim Ubert says it may not reopen until right before the end of the year. On KVOE’s Morning Show recently, Ubert said the need for the repairs was “a surprise to us.”
Ubert says there were concerns about issues with a service line, but the current thought is there are issues with the main line.
Since this is in the warranty period, Ubert says the contractor is responsible for handling the repairs.
Besides the full closure north of the 12th Avenue intersection, Prairie is also closed to thru traffic at Park Avenue.
The 24th and Prairie project lasted for a year, ending in late May. New waterlines were installed from the Emporia Water Treatment Plant at 24th and Industrial east along 24th to Prairie and south to 12th, with a host of service line and other connections included.
24th and Prairie ended as the Southeast Transmission waterline project began this year, and Ubert says the underground work is nearing the halfway mark as work now continues immediately south of Sixth and Neosho. Ubert says that area was closed off earlier this year as the casing, or pipe sleeve, was installed. The current work involves installing the actual pipe.
Ubert says much of the big work is behind the project now.
On KVOE’s Morning Show, Ubert also tentatively adjusted the projected end time for the project, based on the progress to date. The city has been mentioning work will likely continue into at least part of fall 2026, but Ubert says things could well finish at some point next summer if the current pace continues.
Both 24th and Prairie and Southeast are part of the city’s ongoing work to replace old waterlines, in some cases around 100 years old, and thus improve reliability and water pressure across town. The first stage was work up and down Peyton Street, connecting Emporia’s longstanding water tower an the new tower in southeast Emporia.
