Monthly project meeting schedules were altered during November and December due to the holidays. The next monthly project meeting is scheduled for January 28, but there has been a lot going on, so the Town wanted to go ahead and provide and update between meetings.
The Town has been providing the information it has been given by contractors, engineers, and NCDOT. This is a complex project in which field conditions can result in delays and alterations in work and schedules. Thank you for your continued patience during this once-in-a-lifetime project installing 4 miles of waterline for the backbone of the Town’s water distribution system to improve water quality and fire flow, as recommended in the 2007 Water and Sewer Master Plan. If you have questions, please contact Town Hall at 704-436-9800.
Installation Process
Several people have asked why it looks like crews are constantly digging up the same areas. The general order of operations to install new waterline is as follows:
1. Cut pavement
2. Dig Trench
3. Install Line
4. Temporarily fill trench with soil
5. Once new waterline reaches specified points, pressure test and disinfect
6. Dig out trench to specified depth and fill with NCDOT approved materials depending on location of trench (appropriate combination of stone, soil, and/or flowable fill per NCDOT approved pavement schedule). Engineering contractors and NCDOT conduct inspections during this process to ensure appropriate compaction. If compaction is not approved, then the fill has to be altered/remediated.
7. Pavement is restored along trenched area. Final paving will occur later when all work is complete.
8. Service tie-ins are completed for each customer. This typically requires some digging around each customer’s meter box to make the connections.
Road and Lane Closure Requirements
The utility contractor must follow NCDOT requirements for encroachment and work within a state-maintained right-of-way. NCDOT Division 10 required the closure of W. Franklin Street from Halifax Street to Main Street. NCDOT Division 10 has not permitted lane closures on E. Franklin Street during higher traffic times of day and is limiting lane closure and work times to 8:30am to 4:30pm each day. NCDOT Division 10 does not permit lane closures and work within the right-of-way on state holidays, so even though State Utility is working on Monday, January 19, they are not permitted to work on E. Franklin Street. They have also not been permitted to work the days before or after major holidays like Thanksgiving.
The chart and map at the end of this update show the status of each segment of the project. Below is a summary of the status of each segment of the project.
N. Main Street (including Crestwood and Cook Street)
On N. Main Street between North Drive and Hwy. 73 (Franklin Street), waterline installation, pressure testing, certification, and tie-ins are complete, and the line is active. Flowable fill and asphalt patch are complete. Final restoration of impacted sidewalk, curb, and pavement will be completed upon installation of all lines.
S. Main Street
Waterline installation on S. Main Street between Hwy. 73 (Franklin St.) and Lee Street is complete, pressure tested, and certified. Flowable fill and asphalt patch are complete. Service tie-ins will be completed at the end of January to beginning of February and the line will be active. Final restoration of impacted sidewalk, curb, and pavement will be completed upon installation of all lines.
Hwy. 49
Waterline installation on Hwy. 49 between N. Main Street and Hwy. 73 is complete and pressure tested. Certification will be completed by the end of January. After that, service tie-ins will be completed and the line will be active. Once corrected, the waterline will be chlorinated and put into service, which is currently scheduled for early January. A subcontractor is currently replacing the impacted sidewalk and curb.
E. Franklin Street (Hwy. 73)
In early September, a crew began working on installation of the new 12-inch waterline on E. Franklin Street from Main Street to Blueberry Street. Main waterline installation will be complete in mid-January with testing, tie-ins, and pavement taking place into February. There is approximately 300 feet left to install for the entire project as of January 16.
W. Franklin Street (Hwy. 73)
Waterline installation on W. Franklin Street between Halifax Street and Main Street is complete, pressure tested, and certified. Beginning January 19, crews will be completing service tie-ins for each customer. Flowable fill was installed in the trench between Halifax Street and College Street. As required by NCDOT, the trench was filled ABC stone and fabric between College Street and Main Street. The contractor is waiting on NCDOT to approve the fill and compaction so the asphalt patch can be completed over the trench. As soon as this is done, the road can be reopened.
(On October 27, a road closure was established on W. Franklin Street (Hwy. 73) between Halifax and Main Street. This road closure was required by NCDOT due the tight working area within this section of Highway 73. The detour utilizes N. Main Street and Hwy. 49. Digital warning signs and detour signs are in place. A digital sign was added on northbound Highway 49 to warn motorists not to take the exit to travel eastbound on Highway 73. All through traffic for eastbound 73 needs to stay on northbound Highway 49 and turn right on N. Main St. as indicated by the detour signs. The closure and detour have been added to the TIMS system for the DriveNC.gov website. Apple and Google maps also reflect this closure and detour. The closure is scheduled remain in place for approximately 8 weeks while this section is completed.)
Overall Project Schedule and Completion
The updated schedule for the current project scope provided by the contractor shows completion of all main waterline installation by the end of January. Final tie-ins, line operation, restoration of impacted curb & gutter, sidewalk, disturbed ground cover will continue through February. The original contract timeline allowed for 450 days from project start date (February 10, 2025) for substantial completion, which is May 6, 2026. While the contractor had hoped for an accelerated timeline to have substantial completion by the end of 2025, it now appears that the project will have substantial completion by March 2026, still ahead of the contractual date of May 6, 2026. NCDOT has scheduled final resurfacing of Main Street and Franklin Street (Hwy. 73) for the spring. Town staff and contract engineers will be meeting with NCDOT soon to discuss the logistics and details of the planned resurfacing.
