WESTOVER, W.Va. — The next stage of the Holland Avenue sewer line replacement project is expected to begin as early as Tuesday.
City of Westover Director of Public Works Jason Stinespring announced that the sewer line portion of the project that also includes addressing the retaining wall near the Westover Bridge and the repaving of Holland Avenue is set to begin in the coming days as part of an update to Westover City Council Monday night. Blue Gold Development, LLC, is expected to begin 24-hour work shifts to install both gravity and storm water sewer lines that will take place on the weekdays as part of the approximately $2.9 million project, with one lane kept open for personal vehicles.
“They have completed the wall, and they are starting to work on the storm inlets at the bottom,” said Stinespring. “And I believe starting tomorrow (Tuesday) they will be working out on the road on the storm and sewer (lines) full-time.”
The portion of the Holland Avenue project that is expected to begin on Tuesday will include the replacement of approximately 2,800 feet of gravity sewer line and 3,000 feet of storm sewer line beneath the road’s surface. This will be followed by the complete resurfacing of Holland Avenue that will be conducted as part of an agreement with Thrasher Group and the West Virginia Department of Highways. The 24-hour work that will be eventually followed by the Dunkard Avenue lift station project to connect with Morgantown Utility Board sewer lines is expected to be completed within the 90-day timeframe for the project.
“Starting 24 hours tonight, so overnight from Monday to Tuesday, Tuesday to Wednesday, Wednesday to Thursday, and Thursday to Friday, they’ll be working all night,” Stinespring said.
Stinespring noted that traffic that normally flows through Holland Avenue is expected to be delayed between Monday and late Friday afternoon. While the one lane will be kept open for local traffic during the work, large commercial vehicles will be detoured using Long Street, Monongahela Avenue, and Dunkard Avenue. With work expected to not take place during the weekends, Stinespring expects local traffic to be able to travel around Westover ahead of work resuming on a 24-hour basis the upcoming Monday.
“They’ll work during the day Friday and then take the weekend off, the road should be open during the weekend,” Stinespring said.
The goal for the contractors on the project is to have the entirety of the work on Holland Avenue completed by mid-June. This will be followed by the Dunkard Avenue lift station project, which is scheduled to be completed by no later than the end of September. With the retaining wall portion of the project complete, the City of Westover is ready to advance to the next stage of the multi-million-dollar project.
“From what I hear, it’s (the Dunkard Avenue project) moving along, so it should be this summer,” said Stinespring. “We’re happy with the way things are going, and we hope to keep it going.”
Funding for both the Holland Avenue project and the Dunkard Avenue lift station project includes the entirety of Westover’s $1,843,157 American Rescue Plan Act allocation.