Get your head out of the gutter. I'm talking about the major water main project to lay new pipes that just began in Downtown Silver Spring.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSS) unveiled its plans to install approximately two miles of new water pipes that will run under Route 29/Colesville Road in between Georgia Avenue and I-495. This is the same government agency that recently had to explain away
brown water coming out of people's faucets...
They estimate that the project will last two years and apologize to people in advance: there is pretty much always going to be one or two lanes closed on the roads.
The project is seen as vital, especially as Silver Spring and the surrounding cities in Montgomery County continue to grow. The unfortunate reality is that in order to plan for growth, current residents will need to accept two years of traffic. The WSSC warns area drivers to expect lane closures almost immediately.
Coming up this week, there won’t be any actual digging,” WSSC spokeswoman Lyn Riggins explained in a statement. “But you will see lane closures and you will see work out there. These types of projects start with crews out there marking all of the other utilities: the gas lines, the cable lines, the electric lines, so that we know exactly where to dig and we don’t disrupt the other utilities. After that the digging will start in earnest.”
Like any government construction project, expect the main chunk of the work and closures to come during business hours, typically between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.. Obviously the WSSC's goal is to minimize closures during rush hours, but that will likely prove impossible once crews actually break ground.
Phase 1 of the project started this week on Route 29 in between Georgia Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway. Phase 2 -- which will cover the portion of the road from Sligo Creek Parkway up to the beltway -- is expected to begin in July of 2018. But again, like all government works projects, these dates are more suggestions than they are deadlines.
Here's the real kicker: if you live or work anywhere near this project, you will likely have to deal with a water shutoff sometime in the next two years. As annoying as it is, this project is completely necessary. The last time this segment of Route 29 had pipes laid was in the 1920s when Calvin Coolidge was President. While they have served the community well for the past century, it's time for them to be replaced.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission is hoping that these new pipes will last even longer. “We’re using ductile iron pipe, coated in zinc coating, and then put in a special protective bag if you will. It's expected to last 100 years,” Riggins explained.
“This will be an inconvenience, but no one should see work like this again in their lifetime."
What are your thoughts on the construction? Share them with us in the comments.
