A new $4.5 million contract approved Saturday by the Arlington County Board will fund the rehabilitation of a water main beneath N Glebe Road that suffered a catastrophic failure in 2009 and has been out of service since 2013.
A second $1.1 million contract, also approved by the board, will go toward a neighborhood conservation project, while a third $1.4 million contract will improve intersections along North Pershing Drive.
“As Arlington continues to grow, it is essential that we continue to invest in infrastructure, both to maintain what we have and to make it better where we need to,” Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said in a news release.
The water main rehabilitation contract was awarded to J. Fletcher Creamer and Sons, Inc. The main, which runs between Old North Glebe Road and Little Falls Road, was built in 1972. When the main failed in 2009, the county installed another line beside it, taking the failed main out of service in 2013.
The project will replace 3,400 feet of the damaged main with a new smaller pipe, while another 720 feet will be removed and replaced. Short-term water disruptions will be limited to construction hours during the workday and shutdowns will be coordinated with affected residents in advance. Officials expect to begin the project in the spring and hope to maintain traffic flow during working hours. Construction is expected to take a year to complete.
The neighborhood conservation contract was awarded to Sagres Construction Corporation and impacts 20th Road North from North Vermont Street to North Utah street. The project will improve pedestrian safety by adding sidewalks, ADA curb ramps and crosswalks, as well as adding storm infrastructure such as curb inlets and storm pipes.
The North Pershing Drive contract was also awarded to Sagres Construction and involves a wide range of accessibility, pedestrian safety, driver visibility and infrastructure upgrades. The project will affect the stretch of North Pershing from North Barton to North Piedmont.