Progress on Adams faster than expected

With construction moving at a good pace, Creston Waterworks’s water main improvement project has reached Elm Street since starting on Walnut. The project has moved three blocks in about three weeks, faster than expected.

Waterworks General Manager Steve Guthrie said he expects construction to slow down, however. Although the main installation is complete, other processes for the project will have to be conducted before the utility moves on. Over the next few weeks, the utility will do pressure testing and disinfection on the new main.

Traffic has mostly been uninterrupted during the project, although lanes have been reduced in construction areas. At the moment, the east side of the Elm and Adams intersection is blocked due to the construction.

In other areas on the project, Montgomery Street remains in wait for concrete resurfacing. Guthrie said he’s working with the contractor, who is also working on Adams Street, to nail down a timeline for the street.

Similarly, Cherry Street (Division 2) will also need resurfacing in the coming weeks. Guthrie said there was extra work to do on Mills Street (Division 3) with additional installation in progress. Division 4, which covers a portion of Division Street, has still not began progress.

Construction on Adams will look different compared to other parts of the water main improvement project, including similar work on Montgomery. In order to save the utility and the city money, Waterworks is collaborating on the city’s streetscape project, which will extend the sidewalk of Adams Street an extra eight feet.

The utility won’t resurface all of Adams; the area between Pine and Montgomery streets will be left with gravel backfill to city contractors. They will use the labor conducted by the utility’s contractors to save costs for the streetscape project.

Work on Adams will continue heading west until it reaches the Sumner Street intersection. In March, the project was estimated to be completed by the end of August.

In other waterworks news...

Pay applications for water projects were approved. For the water main improvement project in Division 1, which covers Montgomery and Adams Street, a pay application of $230,994.58 was approved. For the same division for the lead service line replacement project, a payment of $16,444.97 was approved.

For Division 2, which covers Cherry Street, a payment of $33,234.88 was approved for the water main project, and a payment of $2,527 was approved for the lead service line replacement project.

Creston Waterworks approved a resolution establishing water main connection fees to properties newly connected to the city utility. Since the last look at the connection fees in 2019, not much has changed.

For a 2-inch or larger connection, the connection fee will be $500 with a $1.50 per foot inspection fee from the length of the main to first device (meter or backflow device). Guthrie said these types of connections are usually for commercial buildings rather than residential, and the fees move the utility in line with the industry standard.

The lead service line project is under environmental review by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for the utility to receive reimbursement for the project. Those funds were estimated by Guthrie to arrive this summer but could be later based on the DNR’s timeline.