West Lockwood Sanitary Relief (Project #11679)

As part of a long-term effort to reduce basement backups and sewer overflows, MSD Project Clear is replacing approximately 3,290 feet of sewer in the City of Webster Groves. The West Lockwood Sanitary Relief project will increase the size of the wastewater sewer which will reduce basement backups and prevent sewer overflows in this area. Construction is scheduled to begin in December of 2020 with anticipated completion in the Spring of 2022.

PLEASE NOTE: Unforeseen underground rock conditions have slowed excavation on this project causing construction to take longer than MSD originally anticipated. With cooperative weather, we anticipate our contractor will complete construction in the Spring of 2022. We will update this page if that schedule changes.

Contact the Project Manager

Public Meeting - November 19, 2020

The construction schedule has been modified since the above meeting was recorded. Unforeseen underground rock conditions have slowed excavation on this project causing construction to take longer than MSD originally anticipated. With cooperative weather, we anticipate our contractor will complete construction in the Spring of 2022. We will update this page if that schedule changes.

About the Project

Project Map

What work is being done?

MSD Project Clear is replacing approximately 3,290 feet of wastewater pipe.
The pipe size will increase to 8 to 31-inches in diameter allowing a larger amount of wastewater to flow through the system.
This project will eliminate two constructed overflow points where untreated wastewater can spill into local waterways.

Why is this project being constructed?

MSD is investing $2,893,000 into this neighborhood with this project to alleviate basement backups and clean up our local waterways.

How will it be built?

MSD’s contractor, Bates Utility Company, will install the pipe by digging through the surface, a process known as “open-cut.” The contractor will dig a trench several feet into the ground, remove the old sewer pipe, and replace it with a newer, larger pipe. They will work section-by-section, and will fill completed sections with gravel or cover it with a steel plate to reduce traffic disruptions.

How will this affect residents?

With any construction, residents can expect to see and hear heavy equipment during the sewer excavation process. The pictures above depict what a neighborhood will look like before, during, and after a typical project.

Because much of the construction takes place in the roadway, customers may experience lane restrictions or temporary road closures during working hours. The two westbound lanes of West Lockwood will be closed, and the eastbound lanes will have one lane of traffic open in each direction. MSD will have a traffic mitigation plan to ensure residents have access to homes and businesses.

During the time that MSD’s contractor is disconnecting a property’s lateral from the current sewer pipe and reconnecting it to the new pipe, they may ask customers to limit water use. In general, this process can take between two to five hours, depending on the complexity of the connection. The contractor will notify property owners in advance.

After the contractor installs all new pipes, they will restore the construction site according to all local and District requirements. This could include sodding disturbed areas, replacing disturbed pavement, reinstalling fences, etc.

At least one MSD Inspector will be on-site part of the day for every day the contractor is working.

When will construction take place?

This is the current tentative project schedule. This is subject to change based on a variety of factors including weather.

Construction start: December 2020
Estimated construction completion: April 2022

Previous milestones:

Project design completed: July 2020
Easement acquisition completed: April 2020
First neighborhood public meeting: June 2019

What will it look like when it's done?

After all new sewer pipes are installed, the contractor will restore the construction site according to all District and local requirements. This could include sodding any disturbed areas, replacing disturbed pavement, reinstalling fences, etc.

FAQs

Q1: Will there be any disruption to sewer service or any other utilities?

MSD does not anticipate sewer service or other utility services being disrupted during this project. We will work with Missouri One Call to locate utilities before beginning construction. Occasionally, the contractor may run into utilities that were not located by Missouri One Call which could result in temporary utility disruptions. If this happens, MSD will work with the utility to restore service as quickly as possible.

Q2. Will construction affect access to driveways or properties?

During active construction, some property owners may experience driveway access restrictions for a short period of time. The contractor will notify property owners in advance of any temporary access restrictions to allow them time to move their vehicles. The contractor will also fill trenches with gravel or place steel plates over trenches during non-working hours so property owners can use their driveways during those times.

Q3. Will trees be removed as a part of this project? Will steps be taken to protect trees?

Trees may need to be removed to construct parts of this project. If there are good options to avoid removing trees, MSD will make every attempt to do that. Property owners with trees that will need to be removed that are not located in already existing easements will have been compensated for the removal through the easement acquisition process. If you have questions about specific trees, please contact Mark Dietiker at mdietiker@stlmsd.com or (314) 768-6380.

Have any more questions? Contact the Project Manager.