“This project will extend a new sanitary sewer main southwest from the intersection of Bon Air Drive and Miller Drive, through a city owned parcel, through uncommitted areas and existing roadways within Oak Dale Cemetery, along the west side of State Route 54 to its intersection with East Powell Avenue and then westward along East Powell Avenue to an existing manhole at the rear entrance to the Champaign County Fairgrounds,” said City Engineer Tyler Bumbalough.
Urbana has secured a grant for $658,900.00 and a loan with 0% interest for a 20-year term in an amount up to $513,900.00 from the Ohio Public Works Commission.
“The grant will be expended first, and the actual loan amount will be based on the final construction cost,” Bumbalough said.
Bumbalough said this project is to address an existing bottleneck in the sanitary sewer system at the intersection of Amherst and Bon Air drives that limits the ability to continue to support additional growth on the east side, which also requires frequent cleaning and maintenance of the system on in those areas in order to mitigate sewer backups.
“This project will eliminate this bottleneck by sending the sanitary sewer flow from approximately 430 households (approximately 1,075 residents) and 186 acres of existing development, including Parmore Estates and most of the Bon Air Subdivision, into this new sanitary sewer main,” Bumbalough said.
The project will also install a sanitary sewer in an area that currently does not have one, and it is designed to accommodate future connection of areas south of the city, such as Short Cut Road, that also do not have one.
During this project, traffic will be maintained by an automated flagger, with the exception of a 14-day closure of State Route 54 between East Powell Avenue and East Water Street, Bumbalough said.
Before the closure, signs will be posted at both ends of the project to indicate the exact closure dates, which will be released at a future time. A detour route will be used to direct traffic around the closure area.
Bumbalough said there will also be two excavation locations on SR 54 that involve the planned closure: the sewer crossing from Oak Dale Cemetery over to the west side of SR 54, and the replacement of an existing storm water culvert at the intersection of SR 54 and East Powell Avenue and the installation of a sanitary sewer manhole within the same intersection.
The final completion of this project is anticipated by Friday, May 28, 2021, Bumbalough said. The contractor will continue work during the winter months, depends on weather conditions, with final restoration work being completed in the spring.
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