October 24, 2007

Water department completes downtown water main project

By LOU PENDLETON

Downtown traffic can get back to normal this week. The Bryan Water Department put the finishing touches on the water main project on the south side of the Courthouse Square.

The water crew installed 460 feet of new 8-inch water main in the 100 block of West Butler Street. In addition to addressing the leaky 100-year-old cast iron pipe, the project completion is part of the preparation for downtown revitalization plans.

The City was recently awarded a $688,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation to revitalize downtown streetscapes, including sidewalks, lighting and trees, along Main, High, Lynn and Butler Streets. The City and Downtown Bryan, Inc. are also seeking a $400,000 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant to revitalize the buildings around the square.

Water Superintendent Norm Echler said the water department will need to proceed with new water lines on the other three sides of the square. Plans for 2008 include replacing the water line in the 100 and 200 blocks of South Lynn Street.

“Most of the underground utilities in the downtown are original and more than 100-years-old. Upgrading the those old pipes in the inner loop around the square creates more options to deliver water for fire fighting in the downtown area,” said Echler.

The water department completed the outer loop, one block off the square, several years ago at the request of the fire department. They installed 12-inch mains on Beech, Walnut and Bryan Streets and a 16-inch main on Maple Street to supply large quantities of water to downtown from all four sides.

In consideration of the downtown businesses and pedestrian safety, Mr. Echler said the water department crew worked night shifts to install the water main on Butler Street. In addition to the new pipe, the crew also installed two new fire hydrants and new service lines to individual businesses.

The five-member water crew hand laid the pavers to restore the brickwork in the sidewalks. They finished up with new asphalt patching to repair the street, hand shoveling 90 tons of asphalt in all. The street department assisted several days and nights with dump trucks and drivers.

The project got underway September 9. Mr. Echler said they waited to start the project until after the Jubilee and Cruise-Ins. They also pulled off the job site during the Barn Fest.

“When we lay water main, we also have to take the time to tend to the needs of the rest of the system and water customers,” Echler said. “We had a one-week delay when we were called off to work somewhere else.”

Earlier this summer, the water department replaced the aging cast iron pipe in the 300 block of West Butler Street, from Beech Street to Portland Street. That project was done in conjunction with street improvements.

The Bryan Water Department has outlined a plan for the next five years that calls for more than $250,000 per year investment into the system to replace water lines, hydrants, meters and valves to keep the water system in good condition.