Upcoming water, sewer projects OK’D
The city of Fort Oglethorpe is planning a water main upgrade along Lafayette Road and a sewer extension project for Direct Connection Drive off Mack Smith Road.
Public Utilities Director Phil Parker recently presented the City Council with updates on each proposed project, including the cost involved.
“This first request is to actually extend our existing Mack Smith Road interceptor system through the Direct Connection Drive area to take us right up to the Tennessee state line where there are some developed parcels,” Parker explained on April 22. “The amount is $54,800, and this will be for all of the engineering services on this project and the construction services.
The board unanimously approved the task order for the work, as well as a subsequent task order for water main work along Lafayette Road ahead of the planned $3 million, federally-funded streetscape project to take place along Lafayette Road from Battlefield Parkway to Harker Road.
Parker explained that the water main work is something that needs to be completed before the streetscape occurs.
“With the upcoming Lafayette Road streetscape project, which will go out for bid in October, we are proposing to move forward before that project with upgrade of the 12-inch water main along Lafayette Road, which has been here since the days of the Post,” Parker said. “Our best guess is that it’s somewhere near a century old. We have had some failures in it before and they are pretty rough.”
In addition to the water main, Parker said the project will also include some sewer line upgrades.
“We’re proposing to start this on Old Lafayette Road at Diane Lane and carry it to Harker just where the streetscape will end pretty much in the same place it now exists, so we won’t have to acquire any easements,” Parker said. “In addition to that, there are some sewer lines that have been around since the Post – probably 700 to 800 feet of lines that we’re going to address at the same time we do this water line. The amount is $53,200, and again, it is also for the full spectrum of design, engineering, and construction services.”
After both projects were approved, Mayor Earl Gray agreed that the time is now to address the infrastructure needs of Lafayette Road.
“It’s a great time to do it,” Gray said. “We’re going to cover up what you tear up anyway, so it’s a good time to tear it up and get it fixed.”