Water, sewer relocation along Bleigh Avenue, Milnor Street

Water and sewer lines currently running beneath Wissinoming Street in Tacony will be relocated to along Bleigh Avenue and Milnor Street in 2009 and 2010 under the second stage of the project to reconstruct the Cottman Avenue Interchange and widen and rebuild adjoining sections of I-95, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced today.

The 114”-diameter sanitary sewer and a 93”-diameter water utility main that presently lie beneath Wissinoming Street between Cottman and Bleigh avenues will be moved to the opposite side of I-95 to make way for improvements to the interchange and the interstate during the third stage (I-95/CP2) of the project in 2011.

The two major utility lines are  owned by the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD). The utility relocation project,  known as contract I-95/CPU, is being funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as part of the overall I-95/CPR project. I-95/CPR is being completed in three stages: I-95/CP1, I-95/CPU, and I-95/CP2.

Construction plans are currently being prepared and work on I-95/CPU is expected to begin in March 2009 and take about two years to complete.

Under I-95/CPU, crews will excavate the existing utilities near the intersection of Bleigh Avenue and Wissinoming Street and tie-in new extensions that will carry the mains to the east side of I-95. The new line will run east beneath Bleigh Avenue, passing under I-95, and turn south at Milnor Street, ending at a tie-in to the existing mains near the intersection of Milnor Street and New State Road.

The new sanitary sewer and water mains will be constructed to run under active CONRAIL tracks and under and around numerous underground gas, electric, communication, sewer and water utility services that run beneath Bleigh Avenue and Milnor Street.  Contractors will maintain all existing utility services to the residents on Wissinoming Street and to businesses along Bleigh Avenue and Milnor Street at all times.

Construction of the new utility lines also will require portions of Bleigh Avenue and Milnor Street to be totally reconstructed, including all new pavement, curb and driveway accesses. Under the construction staging process for I-95/CPU, public access to all the businesses along the route of the new utilities will be maintained for the duration of the relocation project.