The City of Corvallis plans to begin repairs this month on public infrastructure near the Oregon State University campus.
The city will replace an aging water line, which spans about 2/3 of a mile along West Hills Road, Western Boulevard, and 35th Street. Workers will then resurface the road above the pipe.
City project manager Josh Bjornstedt said this line was built in the 1950s, and staff are trying to avoid another major break.
"The old pipe's kind of reached the end of its useful life," he said, "and we try to stay ahead of these replacements as best we can."
Bjornstedt said the new water line will be built next to the existing one, so there won't be long-term interruptions to utility services. But he said the public should expect street closures and traffic detours beginning in April.
“It’s going to help us get the work done safely, more quickly—not having traffic trying to get by us and in on the site," he said.
According to Bjornstedt, routes for bikes and pedestrians should mostly remain during construction. And as part of the renovations, the city plans to add buffered bike lanes on Western and on 35th.
Additionally, Western will also see resurfacing from West Hills Road down to Highway 34, and from 26th to 15th. Plus, 11th Street will be resurfaced from Filmore Avenue to Van Buren Avenue.
Bjornstedt said some of the repairs are planned for this summer, to coincide with when OSU is out of session. The city estimates the work will be done by September.
