Friday, October 22, 2004
Nearly half the project cost, about $1.8 million, is to dig the tunnel.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A section of West Drive inside Mill Creek Park will close soon for an unusual sewer project.
Crews on Nov. 1 will start digging a 900-foot-long tunnel along the road and under the Wall Garden just west of West Glacier Drive as part of a new 1,762-foot, $4 million sewer.
The 60-inch sewer line replaces a 36-inch pipe and will eliminate the discharge of sewer overflow into Bear Creek during heavy rains, said Carmen Conglose Jr., deputy director of public works.
The job is the largest so far among several projects that are part of a consent order the city signed a few years ago. The deals with the U.S. and Ohio environmental protection agencies are to reduce such overflows.
A 20-year loan from the U.S. EPA is paying for the work. Recent increases in city sewer bills will repay the loan.
Nearly half the project cost, about $1.8 million, is to dig the tunnel. That's four or five times more expensive than just digging a trench, called an "open cut."
The sensitive park location is the reason for the approach.
Using the open-cut method would cause major destruction of park areas, Conglose said.
What's being preserved
The sewer line needs to be especially deep, 35 feet below ground, to achieve the correct angle, he said. Using an open cut to go that deep would mean a wide ditch taking out the Wall Garden, the road and more of the park, Conglose said.
A tunnel makes the most sense in a confined area such as the park, he said. The tunnel method means digging down from the surface at each end.
"There will be very little invasive excavation in that area," Conglose said.
City and Mill Creek staff worked with environmental regulators to design the project and minimize the effect on the park, he said.
The eight-month project was scheduled for the park's slower seasons, too, he said. Work is scheduled to be done by June 30.
During construction, West Drive will be closed to traffic from the Lily Pond to West Glacier Drive. Detour signs will be erected.
Drivers should use McCollum Road to reach the Lily Pond and nearby Birch Hill Cabin.
Drivers should use McCollum, Wilkinson Avenue and Price Road to reach Fellows Riverside Gardens.
rgsmith@vindy.com