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Weekly Update for 09/21/2024
Reservoir Intake Work
Work on the reservoir intake will take place the week of October 14. It should take around one week to be completed.
Main Street Project
Last week the road crew lost 2 days working on the street due to rain. They were still able to complete 4 tie-ins and pave the construction area by early on Friday. Work will continue next week. WE ARE CLOSE TO COMPLETION!!!
One main area remains--the tie-in of the main line at Sunset and Main. This will be completed on a Tuesday morning to avoid traffic congestion.
221 Road Work
The sewer line replacement work started this week and the contractor was able to lay approximately 50 feet of sewer. Work will continue next week as we watch the traffic situation and make alternative plans, if needed, with weather delays and tourists looking at the leaves.
Weekly Update for 08/4/2024
Water Levels and Divers
The reservoir picked up over a foot last Friday and now stands around 3 feet below the full pond. The divers were able to conduct their inspection of the intake and valves yesterday and all reports are positive. The town is currently operating on the 3rd valve which is approximately 15' below the full pond or at 12' of water. Given these measurements, we feel the town’s water supply has returned to a safe level. Therefore, we are lifting the Stage 1 water conservation effective immediately. If the conditions change for the worse, then we will reinstate water restrictions as needed.
Main Street
The Main Street water and sewer project continues moving along with another 4 tie-ins completed in the past week and two major connections made on Ransom and Cornish. The project has experienced a few bad weather days but continues to move along on schedule and under budget.
Maple Street and 221 water and sewer line replacement is currently with the State awaiting permitting from the Division of Water Quality to begin work. For Maple Street, we aim to start the sewer portion first, hopefully within the next 30 days, then move to water, with Maple completed by October. We will move to 221 after Maple is complete.
Laurel Lane
This week, the work began on Laurel Lane to rebuild the rocks around the median. Over the years, they have been hit numerous times by vehicles and, as a result, require redoing. The crew placed large rocks on the west side and repaired a large section of rock on the north side. They will return tomorrow and work through Wednesday to avoid heavier traffic days on Thursday and Friday of each week. The plan will be to work Monday through Wednesday until the job is complete and all of the rock has been repaired. This work will also include lifting the sinking pavers back to their original height.
Spillway
The work on the spillway will begin around the time the work on Laurel Lane is completed, which will more than likely be the beginning of September. Spillway work will include the removal of the lower section of the failing wall and boulders placed along the top to assist in deflecting the water.
Chestnut Drive Sewer
The replacement of the Chestnut Drive sewer line will begin the week of August 12th. This is a section that is currently on private property that has experienced recent failure. It will be relocated to the street line and a new manhole will be set to allow for future expansion on Chestnut Circle and above.
Grandfather Sewer Lift Station
The replacement of the Grandfather lift station will begin around the time the Chestnut sewer line starts and will be completed by the end of August. This is to replace the failing lift station off of Chestnut Drive & Grandfather Avenue that was originally budgeted for 2023-2024.
This page presents information that informs you of recent news around town.
Link to the Town Council Meeting 4/9/2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsbGLO3jb4
Link to the Town Council Meeting 3/12/2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPccHZqPGt0&t=605s
Site Content
This page presents information that informs you of recent news around town.
Link to the Town Council Meeting 4/9/2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsbGLO3jb4
Link to the Town Council Meeting 3/12/2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPccHZqPGt0&t=605s
Monthly Update on Main Street Work
Last week, at the monthly update meeting with Shane Fox, McGill Associates, Iron Mountain, and Blowing Rock staff, it was projected that the sewer work will be fully completed in the next two weeks, including all tie-ins. The 8" water line installation continues and should be completed around the end of May. At this time, Iron Mountain has around 1,200 linear feet remaining to complete the installation of the main line. Once the main line is installed and tested, the water taps will begin and should take around 2 months to complete. Then there will be punch list items to go through. Overall, we are on schedule.
Here is some additional information about the installation of sewer lines, if you are like me and know nothing about plumbing!
What is a tie-in?
A tie-in is the point where you connect homes to the sewer line.
How Deep are the Sewer Lines Buried?
Generally, a sewer line can be as shallow as 12″ to 30,” or as deep as 6+ ft. Often times this is simply a matter of climate. In really cold climates, the pipe is buried deeper to prevent the pipe from freezing solid in winter. Every now and then you will run into a sewer line that is buried deep even in a warm climate. (Eyman Plumbing, https://rb.gy/ap1wka)
Our Sewer Lines
Our sewer lines in Blowing Rock vary from 3 feet to 8 feet throughout the project. The area around Chetola is the only exception where the depth is around 12 feet in places.
Intersection of Sunset Drive and Main Street Closed for Sewer Manhole on 5/1/2024 after 8:00 a.m.
The intersection of Sunset Drive and Main Street will be closed for Sunset Drive traffic on May 1st, 2024 after 8:00 AM. The intersection will be closed for Sunset Drive but Main Street will remain open for controlled traffic flow. The plan is to install a sewer manhole at that location and to reopen the intersection around 2:00 PM for school release and pick up. Sunset Drive will be closed at Ransom Street with local traffic access to businesses and the school bus lot, but access to Main Street will be closed during the construction.
Sewer crews working at Morris and Main (posted 4/23/2024
Sewer crews will be at Morris St. and Main St. this morning (4/23/24). They will begin after school drop off and be out of the way before school pick up. They will be working North toward Maple St. in the coming days and on the east side of Main St. in the parking spaces. Traffic will be routed through the typical stop-arm devices used thus far.
Water and Sewer Line Replacement
Some people are wondering why the trenches on South Main Street have not been paved. The water portion has been completed up to Ginny Stevens Lane from South Main at Valley Boulevard; however, the trenches are not paved yet. At the Town Council meeting on 3/12/2024, Jared from McGill Engineering explained why.
The primary reason is that the gravel in the trenches has to be compacted first, before paving. Additionally, the lines need to be tested. The paving requires 14 inches of asphalt. It makes sense to wait to pave after the lines are tested and all tie-ins are completed. Paving is also weather-dependent because rain and cold affect permanent patching.
On the Town website, click on the link for Water/Sewer Project Road Closure for more information.