CSAH 19 WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT

Overview

The City of Orono is undertaking a construction project to improve the city water main along CSAH 19 between North Shore Drive and Mapleridge Lane. The project will consist of pipe bursting the existing water main and directionally drilling a new water main.

The water main servicing this area is a cast iron pipe that was installed in the 1970s. The area has experienced some water main breaks in recent years indicating the pipe is at the end of its service life.

Project Update

October 20, 2022

Over the past two weeks, the contractor has worked to install the remaining water main between Kelly Ave and Mapleridge Ln. They have installed all hydrants, gate valves, and connections to existing watermains in the neighborhoods. To complete the connections to the neighborhoods, the contractor needed to turn off the water to residents. Some shut offs were longer than others and all water was restored as quickly as possible. New concrete was placed on the north end of the project and cured over seven days. Over the next week, the contractor plans to patch the roads with new asphalt including around the new concrete.

The watermain between Kelly Ave and Mapleridge Ln is currently undergoing testing. Once all tests pass, residents who are on temporary water will be connected to the new water main. At this time, all temporary water pipe will be removed from yards.

The week of October 24, the contractor will be starting to restore the disturbed soils. Black soil will be placed over the existing soils followed by seed and blanket. The blanket is to help keep the seed in place for the winter while also helping to avoid erosion of the new soil. Residents should avoid moving or modifying the blanket as it will affect the quality of grass that will grow in the spring. Kristina will be monitoring all restoration progress through the spring to ensure seed is taking at an acceptable level.

The timeline for this work is approximate and may change based on weather and contractor availability. Please refer to the weekly updates on this page for the most up to date information. Weekly updates will occur towards the end of each week. For specific questions or concerns, please contact Kristina Brierley.

Project Timeline

Competitive bids for the work were received on August 3, 2022, and the project was awarded to Geislinger & Sons from Watkins, Minnesota on August 8, 2022.

Geislinger & Sons is currently scheduled to begin work on or after September 6, once they finish up some other projects they are working on. The contract completion date for most of the work is November 25, 2022, and Geislinger & Sons is expected to meet the completion date.

CSAH 19 will not be closed at any time during the duration of the project, but lane restrictions and traffic shifts may occur.

Contacts

Informational updates will be posted on the City of Orono’s website. These updates will occur toward the end of each week. If you have questions or concerns at any time, please contact Kristina Brierley at the phone number or email address listed.