Lexington to begin major sewer project

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The City of Lexington is set to begin a major sewer project.

For the next year and a half, a group of homeowners will be dealing with three different major construction projects right in their front yards.

“Knowing how long the project was going to be and the uncertainty I had about losing access to our driveway, I wanted to have some answers to questions,” said Greentree Road resident Jonathan Crosmer.

Crosmer is learning about the $8.2 million West Hickman Trunk E Sewer Improvement project.

Starting in March, the city will replace the sewer pipeline along Greentree from Armstrong Mill Road to New Circle Road.

As Charles Martin, the Director of the Division of Water Quality, explains, this is just one out of a series of repairs mandated by the state and the EPA in 2006 after filing a lawsuit against Lexington for violating the Clean Water Act.

“So, like on Greentree Road right now, we have two overflows that happen pretty regularly every time it rains,” said Martin. “So once the dust settles, and we get the road put back together, life will be better for them because they won’t have overflows anymore.”

The project’s team says access to Tates Creek Campuses will always be available. And they’ll be working in small sections at a time. But when they have to do bypass pumping, there will be potentially up to 18-inch in diameter sewer pipe they’ll have to lay on the surface of the roadway.

“I’m surprised as a layperson about how long it takes to do these things. But you know large, physical projects take time,” Crosmer said. “They say they’re only doing a small section between manholes at a time, so I guess it makes sense.”

The sewer pipeline repairs are expected to take 12 months. Then Kentucky American Water will go in and replace the water main in this same section. When that is finished, the city is slated to repave and restripe the roads, as well.

In total, they expect construction to last 18 months.

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