The Rudisill-Broadway consolidation sewer project is progressing well. You may remember the 18-month project necessitated completely closing the intersection of Rudisill/Broadway for ten months.
The project encountered early delays when the intersection was closed in mid-July of 2019.
– The planned water main relocation project was delayed by two weeks because of part shortages.
– A sizeable underground tank was discovered during the early construction. It had to be excavated and removed – another two-week delay.
– Heavy rains created flooding in the construction area delaying progress for a total of eight days.
These delays meant that project construction had minimal progression for about five and a half weeks, but crews have worked to catch up, and today the project is nearly 70 percent complete.
On Thursday, May 14, 2020, City Utilities hosted a Zoom meeting for the presidents of the five closest neighborhoods– Southwood Park, Foster Park, West Rudisill, Illsley Place and Oakdale, plus a representative from the Broadway Business Association.
The City shared that Rudisill/Broadway could reopen in early June with one lane in each direction and that the work in the rest of the area would go on for the next eight months. The lane openings would be between Bluffton Road and West Rudisill Boulevard. This change would create tight or possibly impassable pedestrian access on the northeast corner of Broadway and Rudisill, and the trail would remain closed. Additionally, while the motor vehicle traffic would be able to travel on this stretch of road, access to Foster Park would still be re-routed on Lexington Avenue to Hartman Road.
Because the City understands the challenges this has placed on the neighborhoods, they presented an additional option. This option would keep the entire intersection closed through early September, when the whole project would wrap-up and the streets and trail would reopen.
This option would also allow some additional needed work that might restrict street access in 2021.
Crews have discovered that a 36-inch sewer pipe needs a liner reinforcement and that additional storm sewers would help with street flooding on the corner of the intersection. This extra work can coincide if the full street closure remains through September.
Neighborhood leaders believe finishing all utility work and paving in early September of 2020 is a better option than having lanes opened and the project going into February of next year.
The City will be meeting with the contractor early next week to firm up a commitment for the option to keep the intersection closed and finish the project in September.
Historic Foster Park Neighborhood 