HENDERSON, Ky. (July 20, 2020) – The Henderson Water Utility will begin a major, mile-long sewer project in late July that is expected to continue until early December and will disrupt traffic on the heavily traveled North Elm Street at some points during construction.
It will also cause other streets in the neighborhood to be temporarily blocked and limited to local traffic during the day as construction proceeds.
The $1.3 million construction project is the second segment of a broader project that began with the rebuilding of a sewer pump station earlier this year on Myrene Drive. The pump station re-build was done to provide increased sewer capacity and alleviate sewer overflows.
This next segment will install nearly a mile of 12-inch and 16-inch sewer force main through the neighborhoods west of and along North Elm Street from Barker Road to Park Field.
A new alignment for this main was chosen to move the line back from the Ohio River. The old main runs near the riverbank and is subject to erosion from flooding.
To lessen construction impact, contractor Deig Brothers of Evansville and HWU will be installing most of the line by “directional drilling,” in which shallow bore pits are dug along the alignment, and the pipe is drilled underground between those pits.
“This avoids most of the disruption and damage caused by digging up streets, driveways and yards,” said HWU General Manager Tom Williams. “Directional drilling of this section also lowered the contract price by $320,829 through savings and ground restoration.”
For the section of this project on North Elm Street from Retting Road south to the entrance to Park Field, narrow right-of-way and poor ground conditions make traditional cut-and-cover construction more cost-effective. That section will be excavated just off the west side of North Elm Street.
Because of heavy traffic and to maintain a safe construction zone, portions of North Elm Street from Park Field to Retting Road will be closed to through traffic during construction.
Local traffic to driveways, side streets and residences will be allowed but may be blocked for short periods during the day. Normal work hours will be 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Night and weekend work is not anticipated at this time.
The project was conceived from a study conducted five years ago in which HWU identified four areas where sewer infrastructure needed to be upgraded on the north side.
The tentative start date is set for July 27.
HWU will keep the public informed about this project and any road closures through social media and press releases to local media outlets.
If you have any questions about this project, please call HWU at 270-826-2428.
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