Stormwater project could cost $2 million

It could cost the city about $2 million to replace the Jacob’s Valley storm sewer system in Midtown, the city engineer says.

“The issue with that pipeline is it is in a failed state,” Ralph Swenson told the Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee on Wednesday. He said the Jacob’s Valley system no longer efficiently passes stormwater and needs to be replaced.

Swenson said the failed system “is the major contributor to the underpass flooding that occurs on occasion” on Broadway beneath the Greenkill Avenue and CSX railroad bridges.

The Jacob’s Valley stormwater system travels from Broadway down Pine Grove Avenue and extends to Susan, Summer and Sterling streets, ending at a property owned by CSX. The system discharges into a box culvert that goes under the railroad tracks.

In a report to the committee, Swenson said the Common Council in November 2014 authorized the mayor to enter into a contract with H2M architects and engineers to study the stormwater system and make recommendations. He said that since that time, a stormwater study has been completed and the Common Council decided to pursue the full replacement of the stormwater collection and conveyance system from Broadway to the CSX property.

The final design plans were received in December, and an easement from CSX to allow the work has been secured, Swenson said.

Swenson told the committee that he intends to seek bids for the work and that he will return to the committee at a later date to secure funding for the project.

Swenson said the project initially was estimated to cost $1.6 million, but now would be approximately $2 million. He said the initial estimate did not include construction oversight and inspection.

In addition to replacing the system, the project would realign the pipelines further away from the railroad tracks on the CSX property, Swenson said.