Scheduled Water Main Replacement Will Affect Traffic on Jordan Avenue

Bloomington, Ind. - Work continues on replacing water mains across the city to update the water delivery infrastructure. City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU) will be working along Jordan Avenue on the IU campus starting May 20. Both lanes of Jordan Avenue will be closed from 10th Street to 7th Street until work is completed on or before June 28.  Adjacent properties, such as Wells Library and Wright Quad, will be accessible via a detour along Union Street. Customers in the area should not experience any water service disruptions.

In its 2016 rate case, CBU instituted a long-term program to replace aging infrastructure, and has committed to investing $1.7 million per year on main replacements. The water main along Jordan Ave. was identified as a priority for replacement.  Over 75% of the City’s water mains are over 50 years old, with some dating as far back as 1910.

“Infrastructure replacement causes temporary inconveniences, but over time, our customers will experience improved and more reliable water delivery,” said Utilities Department director Vic Kelson.

Water main replacements are prioritized based on several factors. Mains with a history of problems will be replaced first, followed by mains feeding critical locations, pipes known to be old or in poor condition, and neighborhoods already queued for road work.  For convenience, the Jordan Ave. water-main replacement was coordinated with other construction projects in the area that are scheduled for this summer.

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Photo: CBU crews replacing a water main in 2018. Photo by Jon Callahan.