May 15, 2008

Water department replaces 101-year-old line on Lynn Street

By LOU PENDLETON

Anyone who has driven along the west side of the Courthouse Square lately has noticed a few bumps. The Bryan Water Department is in the process of replacing 900 feet of vintage 1907 cast iron waterline in the 100 and 200 blocks of South Lynn Street.

Water Superintendent Norman Echler said they chose to directionally bore the new 8-inch water main so the project would go faster, create less dirt and dust downtown, and keep the street open for traffic. Echler said directional boring was also cost effective because it saved more than 1,000 tons of limestone backfill that would have been required had the pipe been installed in an open trench.

To minimize interruptions to traffic, the water crew has been working the night shift (midnight to 8 a.m.) to dig across the lane of traffic to install the service connections. “By working at night, we don’t interfere with the downtown businesses. We try to be out of the way by 9 a.m. and have the street open for the business day,” said Echler.

“I’d like to recognize the dedication and cooperation of our employees to work night-time hours to complete the project with the least disruption to the public downtown during the day.”

While installing the service lines, the water crew uncovered a brick steam tunnel built in 1890 to heat the courthouse. The tunnel runs underground from the courthouse to the 100 block of North Lynn Street. Due to the tunnel, the water crew has had to dig deeper than normal (7 to 8 feet) to cross underneath it to install service lines.

In addition to the main water line, the project includes 2 new hydrants, 7 new valves, and 19 copper service line replacements. Responding to a request from the Chamber of Commerce, the water crew will add two new water service lines to the Courthouse lawn for use during the Jubilee.

Echler said the 101-year-old pipe was in bad shape, and the new main will provide better flow for fire protection downtown.

The money Bryan Municipal Utilities is spending on the project was used as matching money to help obtain the $400,000 Community Development Block Grant that was recently awarded for downtown improvements. The project also prepares for the downtown beautification project that will include new sidewalks and street pavement in the next few years.

The water department plans to replace the waterlines on the north and east sides of the Courthouse Square in the next two to three years. They replaced the waterline on the south side of the square last year.

The Lynn Street project is part of the Bryan Water Department’s infrastructure replacement program. The city has approximately 70 miles of water main, of which at least 28 miles are the original cast iron pipe laid more than 50 years ago. Echler said the department’s goal is to budget $250,000 per year and replace about 3,000 feet of pipe per year.

Later this summer, the water department will install a new 12-inch water main on East Wilson Street across from the Industrial Park. The cast iron waterline in the 200 and 300 blocks of South Cherry Street will also be replaced as part of a total street improvement in that area.