(Kansas City, Mo.) – Improvements are happening in the 18th and Vine District. The first is a new water main. The 8” main that’s in the ground now has been there since 1882. That’s 136 years! KC Water is replacing that pipe with a larger, 12” main for enhanced water service.
This project starts at Woodland Avenue and continues west past Troost to Campbell Street. To help lessen the impact on drivers, a lane of traffic in each direction will remain open throughout the project.
As often happens, once the digging starts workers unearth surprises.
“We actually opened up the ground and discovered a bunch of piers we think are for a rail line,” explained KC Water Project Manager Rebecca Mitchell. “There are a lot of concrete columns along the trench and we’ve had to remove them every five feet or so.”
The water main work is expected to be completed in early May. That’s when the Public Works Department will start work on street resurfacing, sidewalk repair, landscaping, and other upgrades.
“We want to get our utilities replaced before they come through and beautify the area so we don’t tear it up again later,” said Mitchell.
This project is part of KC Water’s water main replacement program, a strategic and data-driven initiative to replace the water mains that are at most risk of failure. Since the program started in 2014, KC Water has replaced nearly 130 miles of water main in Kansas City. All of this work enables KC Water to continue providing Kansas City with safe, reliable drinking water for today’s customers and future generations.
For more information, please contact Brooke Givens, Media Relations Coordinator, at brooke.givens@kcmo.org or 816.513.0284.
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KC Water maintains and operates water treatment and distribution systems, stormwater management systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems for residential and business customers in Kansas City and for wholesale customers in the Kansas City area. KC Water is primarily funded by fees charged to customers based on their use or impacts on the three utility systems.
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