Better than a month after work started to replace a water main near Newman Regional Health, the project has navigated through recent weather issues.
Work had to halt after several recent snowfalls, notably a Groundhog Day snow totaling around 5 inches and another snowfall two weeks later that dumped 5-9 inches of snow in and around Emporia.
Emporia City Engineer Jim Ubert says the project to bring new 16- to 20-inch pipe underneath 12th from Chestnut to Grand will replace pipes that are anywhere from 80-100 years old.
KVOE News photo.
This is part of an existing renovation process that actually dates back to a massive water main failure near 15th and Prairie almost five years ago. This also involves past work along West 12th from Prairie east to Grand. In addition, Ubert says this is an important process because it dovetails with last year’s water line replacement process along parts of West Ninth on the hospital’s south side.
Work could go through April, weather permitting.
Meanwhile, the Engineering Department is gearing up for several significant improvement projects affecting parts of Sixth Avenue or US Highway 50. A bid for a water line improvement on West Sixth from Lincoln to Woodland has been awarded, but material availability is an issue now. The goal is to start that project by late March or early April — and to get that done by the time a resurfacing project takes place on Sixth between Prairie and Neosho. A paving and infrastructure bid is also in place for Sixth involving Funston, Sunnyslope and West Fifth. Work could begin by mid- to late March.
