A new, but small, roadway in Bridgeport is still going to take place in the months ahead, but prior to that city workers are taking care of another issue so they won’t have to tear up the road after it’s put in place. Early this morning, workers began replacing a sewer line from the Benedum Civic Center that runs under where the road in question will be.

 

“It’s an old sanitary line that definitely needs replaced as the new roadway is being built. The last thing you want to have happen is for a line that you know is old and giving you some problems to go bad and you have to tear up new road,” City Engineer Tom Brown said.

 

The road in question was approved by Bridgeport City Council in July. It will take an existing gravel section off of the Civic Center parking lot and pave that area and continue paving it behind the building and all the way to the earthen ramp area that leads to the back of the Bridgeport City Pool.

 

Brown said the new line will go all the way from the Civic Center to the main near Simpson Creek. Not only will the line be replaced, it will be upgraded in material and size.

 

“The line is one of the ones on our list that we’ve been looking at replacing and the circumstances with the new road require us to do it now,” said Brown. “We’ll be putting in an 8-inch PVC line, which is an upgrade and should be able to handle any future needs of the Civic Center or anything in that area. Going up in size on a line is a very minimal cost.”

 

Brown didn’t have an exact cost on the project. However, it is being done in-house, which avoids paying prevailing wage and other issues that often come up with contract work.

 

Editor's Note: Photo by Hannah Cantrell