Last week’s authorization of a grant application for new water pipelines under Grand Avenue could result in construction and closure between 13th and 15th Street.
City council authorized a grant application of a projected two million dollars to replace certain water pipelines under Grand Avenue. Most of the funding for the water lines would come from the state, which would reimburse the city for 75 percent of the cost, according to the grant proposal.
“The city’s share is from revenue generated in the water fund,” Earl Smith, director of Public Works in Laramie, said.
The application was approved on the Tuesday, Feb. 17 and submitted to the Office of State Lands and Investments two days later.
The expected selection date for projects in the Office of State Lands and Investments is sometime in mid-June. Earl Smith, Director of Public Works for the city of Laramie, said,
“If we are successful in obtaining grant funds we will pursue design this summer, followed by construction,” Smith said.
If the project is selected for full funding, engineering firms will bid for the design and construction rights. Construction could close down Grand Avenue between 13th and 15th Street, Smith said.
The water lines in the area are over a hundred years old in certain areas. One anonymous area resident said the water sometimes smells, “It’s okay, but I have filters. The smell of it sometimes is a little icky.”
Derik Buescher, a neighborhood landlord, said that the construction would be welcome.
“I’m not too opposed to that because with a house right on 15th and grand, just having less traffic cuts down on the noise level at least for a little while,” Buescher said. “I’ve heard some of our students mention the same thing.”
Last summer the city did extensive work on Grand Avenue to repair several of the services that run underneath the street.
