Phase 1 pipe replacement begins February

At last Tuesday night’s special city council meeting, special guest Professional Engineer Angie Sanchez, with the engineering firm KSA, outlined the phases of the city’s water pipe replacement project and answered questions from both the audience and council members.

PHASE ONE— The first phase of the plans is done and are awaiting approval which Sanchez said should happen by Dec. 19. The construction process is expected to start in February 2023 and run for six months through July 2023.

There are three major streets involved in Phase One: Main Street, Ackerman Street and East Cameron Avenue.

The plan is not only to get rid of the old cast iron water lines, but also to relocate them into the right of way outside the pavement. The reason for this is that in the future no streets will have to be torn up to fix any water issues that may arise, a much less costly operation.

All over town, this area, which actually belongs to the city, is around 8 to 10 feet, so many yards will have to be dug up to install the pipes. Sanchez said directional drillers will be used so that no driveways will need to be cut.

One of the reasons that Main and Ackerman were chosen first is because TxDOT has a resurfacing plan in place starting in 2024.

PHASE TWO— The second phase of the project is the entirety of the rest of Rockdale. Sanchez referred to this phase of the project as “The Monster” because of the large area covered.

Phase two is scheduled to start in September of 2023 and The Reporter w ill b e giving updates as the city releases them.