State
Route 95 (Oak Ridge Turnpike) Improvements
The
Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has roadway improvements proposed
along SR 95 in three development phases. Phase One from
the I-40 Gallaher Road interchange to the SR95/58 interchange was completed
summer 2003.
Phase Two
- SR 95/58 interchange to near Westover Drive
The
improvements along this three-mile roadway section begin at the SR 95/58
interchange and extend to near Westover Drive.
From the SR 95/58 interchange to Southwood
Lane, the improvements include widening from the existing two-lane roadway to a
four-lane divided roadway with paved shoulders.
Just east of Southwood Lane, the roadway will
taper to a five-lane section with paved shoulders and continue to Westover
Drive. In the area of Westover Drive,
the roadway will taper back to the beginning of the Phase Three project where a
four-lane divided roadway is being constructed.
The
construction contract has been awarded to G.W. Wyatt and installation of
erosion control measures and tree removal has been completed. Grading and storm drainage is
continuing. Construction plans can be reviewed by appointment at the City
Engineer's office, (865) 425-1807.
Construction is anticipated to be complete in May of 2012.
The State has revised roadway plans to better address the
concerns of the Southwood Subdivision residents
pertaining to safety and noise associated with the project. Revisions to the plans along the subdivision
include guardrail, drainage swales, protected vegetated areas, new tree
plantings and shifting of the road alignment in some areas farther away from
the homes. A 45 mph speed limit has been posted along the project.
In 1992 the City began a program
designed to reduce the amount of Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) entering
the sanitary sewer collection system.
The reduction of I&I is important to eliminate occurrences of
untreated wastewater bypassing the collection system. Reduction of I&I is also important to
reduce the cost of treating rainwater runoff that is retained in the collection
system and deposited at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Normal dry weather flow at the plant is
approximately five million gallons per day (MGD); however, during wet weather
events flow can exceed 25 MGD.
Additionally, the City hopes to reduce the cost of damage claims from
sewer backups.
To date, the City has let a total of
18 contracts as a result of the sewer rehab program. Of those contracts, 14 were for the direct
purpose of reducing I/I. There were two contracts to clean and inspect
lines using closed circuit television and two for the purpose of repairing or
constructing sewer force main lines.
Approximately 211,248 feet or 15 percent of the 1,400,000 feet of
city-owned sewer pipe has been rehabilitated.
Staff believes that it will be necessary to rehabilitate at least 25
percent of the system in order to significantly reduce the problems resulting
from I&I.
Decreases in flow in individual collector lines serving neighborhoods
where rehab has occurred have been observed.
On July 23, 2009 the City let for
bid sewer rehab Contact “N” which is the 19th contract in the sewer
rehab program. Notice to proceed was
issued on
Smoke testing, CCTV inspection and
manhole inspections are taking place at the present time in the Emory Valley
sewer shed to locate defects that are allowing I/I to
enter the collection system. These
repairs along with a major repair project designed to upsize the sewer
collector south of Oak Ridge Turnpike that runs parallel to Cairo Road and
serves 4 mini systems located north of Oak Ridge Turnpike will be combined to
form the next rehab contract, which will be designated Contract “O.” Contract “O” is presently under design with
an anticipated bid letting in summer 2011.
In March 2009, the City let for bid
a contract (COR 09-05) to clean and inspect (TV) approximately 8,500 feet of
sanitary sewer inceptor line running from Lafayette Drive west to near ORAU
Way. This project was completed in July
2009. Information from the TV data will
be used to determine repair needs on these segments of pipe. During this project it was learned that a
portion of this line, located at the southwest corner of Manhattan Center
shopping center must be relocated to correct a bottle neck condition that is
creating a restriction upstream. These
repairs will be performed in a future rehab contract.
In addition to contracts to improve
the sanitary sewer collection system the City is also working to improving the
condition of its sewer lift stations.
The City has let 5 contracts to date for the replacement of 10 lift
stations. Design work is presently
taking place to replace the Castlewood, Gregory’s and Westview lift
stations. Acquisition of easements
needed for 2 of the 3 lift stations has delayed completion of design. The City hopes to be able to submit a design
to TDEC for review in summer of 2011 with a bid letting late in the year.
At present City waste water
maintenance personnel are renovating 1 of the 4 lift stations the City took
over when it accepted some of the utilities at the old K-25 site now known as
the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP).
The City anticipates choosing an
engineering consultant to provide design services to replace a second pump
station located at ETTP. Staff would
anticipate completion of design in spring of 2012 with a bid letting later that
year.
EPA Administrative Order
The City of Oak Ridge received an Administrative
Order (AO) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with an effective date
of September 28, 2010. The AO requires
the City to perform certain work activities and submit specific information to
the EPA within the time period stated in the AO.
Current field work activities to comply with the
AO include the following:
Manhole
inspection
Sewer
line cleaning
Sewer
line tv inspection
The Public Works Department administrative staff
has been evaluating Information Management Systems (IMS). An RFP was issued in January to three vendors
with proposals received in February and the review team chose a vendor to
recommend the purchase of an IMS to City Council.
A Request for Statement of Interest and
Qualifications (SIQ) was issued to twenty-one professional engineering firms,
with fifteen firms submitting proposals.
A staff review team is evaluating the submitted proposals. The selected firms will design sewer
rehabilitation and sewer pump station projects as required by the AO.
More information concerning the EPA
Administrative Order is posted at:
http://www.cortn.org/PW-html/EPAOrderDocumentation.html
Street
maintenance activities are primarily funded through the State Street Aid
Fund. This funding also is utilized for
snow removal activities. Due to the
numerous snow events this winter, funding is not available for a city street
resurfacing contract for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011 (FY2011). The Public Works Department has requested
that any funds remaining as of June 30, 2011, currently projected to be
$300,000, be included in the FY12 budget to be utilized for the required 20%
“match” funding for a TDOT resurfacing project.
The TDOT
resurfacing project is in the investigation stage, with Public Works staff
inspecting the eligible streets as not all city streets are eligible for the
TDOT program. Once the inspections are
complete, the City will request TDOT to design the resurfacing project and will
be required to pay the 20% match funding to TDOT. It is planned that the TDOT resurfacing
project could begin by early summer 2012.
Grant team
setup and the first meeting was December 12, 2007. Application went to Council
in February and submitted on March 10, 2008. Awards announced; recipients
meeting in Nashville on January 7, 2009. The State executed the contract
in late December 2009. The notice to proceed from the State received on
February 28, 2010. The City has completed environmental. Cannon and
Cannon completed design. Public meeting held on August 12, 2010. TDOT has approved plans and contract
documents and has authorized the City project bidding.
Pre-bid
conference on November 23 and bids open December 16. Contract awarded by City Council March 7,
2011. Pre-con 3/11. Notice to Proceed issued 4/15/11. Construction on sidewalks began early May
2011 and proceeding nicely.
DOE
planning to transition some roads on-site to the City. Phase 1A
approved by Council; implementing agreed upon items. Phase 1A roads have
been transferred to the City. Starting to look at Phase II roads.