Aging water transmission line replaced
TROY, N.Y. » Mayor Patrick Madden had only been on the job about three weeks when his administration faced its first crisis, the rupture of a main water transmission line that flooded the northern part of Lansingburgh in late January 2016 and disrupted water service throughout the city and nine surrounding municipalities for a week.
That catastrophe, followed a month later by a broken sewer main that caused a portion of Campbell Avenue to collapse at the other end of the city, led to discussions about the state of the city’s aging infrastructure and what needs to be done to avoid such problems in the future. The first tangible result of those discussions was realized Wednesday, when Madden announced the completion of a major project to replace the 33-inch, riveted steel line that caused the January problems with about a mile of 36inch ductile iron pipe that Madden says will improve and expand the capacity of Troy’s water delivery system.
“Modernizing our infrastructure network is essential in building a 21st century city, and the full installation of this major water line ensures a stronger foundation can be laid for our community’s continued economic growth and prosperity through the reliable delivery of clean, quality drinking water,” Madden said in a statement. “With assistance from New York state and support from Gov. {Andrew} Cuomo and our state representatives, the city of Troy has demonstrated our commitment to investing in the invisible system of pipes beneath our feet for the long-term health and benefit of our residents and surrounding communities.”
In August, in cooperation with
state and local partners, the city secured approximately $3.2 millionjin grant funding and financing through the state Water Infrastructure Improvement Act and Environmental Facilities Corp. to fully fund replace- ment of the century- old line, which connects directly into the city’s water treatment plant and feeds the larger distribution network, which serves approximately 135,000 residents in Rensselaer, Albany and Saratoga counties.
While the new transmission line has been installed, traffic advisories remain in effect for Northern Drive, with overnight closures expected, for road paving operations, beginning Thursday. Drivers are advised to watch for flaggers, observe all posted detour signs and seek alternate routes. Drivers may also encounter uneven pavement and loose gravel and are asked to slow down and use caution when traveling in the area of the work zone. Busi- nesses in the vicinity of the work area remain open and accessible.
“I want to express my appreciation to the residents of the Lansingburgh neighborhood for their patience shown during the weeks of construction activity,” Madden added in his statement, “and applaud our dedicated Department of Public Utilities staff and utility crews for their professionalism and focus in completing this project on schedule.”
Since assuming office, Madden has aggressively tackled the challenges of aging municipal infrastructure and continues to pursue efforts to strengthen the city’s water and sewer lines. Earlier this year, officials agreed to seek additional funding to meet the city’s obligations to a project that also includes the cities of Cohoes, Watervliet, Albany and Rensselaer and the village of Green Island and is designed to improve sewer systems to end the longstanding practice in these communities of releasing sewage directly into the Hudson River whenever heavy rain overwhelms these systems.