Water line relocation means road upgrade
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 18, 2016 12:19 AM
MOUNT OLIVE -- The pending relocation of a water line signals progress on plans to upgrade U.S. 117 South to Interstate status, Mount Olive Town Manager Charles Brown said last week.
The town board awarded a $113,196 contract to Cox-Edwards to relocate the water line south of its current location.
The approval is contingent on state Department of Transportation approval as well. The work could start as soon as October and be completed by the end of the year, depending on how quickly the Department of Transportation acts.
"We have a 6-inch water line that runs under Country Club Road which crosses the current (U.S.) 117 -- all four lanes," Brown said. "It also crosses the old (U.S.) 117 (Alternate)."
In order to facilitate the building of an overpass at Country Club Road, the water line has to be relocated south, Brown said.
"It is a sign of progress for the town of Mount Olive because it means I-795 is becoming a reality," he said.
Under state law the Department of Transportation will pay the non-betterment cost for the relocation of water and sewer lines located within the existing state transportation right-of-way project that are necessary to be relocated for a state transportation improvement and are owned by municipality with a population of 10,000 or less.
That means the town will not have to pay for the work, Brown said.
Upgrading U.S. 117 from north of Country Club Road to south of Genoa Road near the Wayne County Fairgrounds -- the future Interstate 795 South corridor -- is included in the state's next draft 10-year transportation plan.
It has yet to receive final approval or funding.
However, construction of interchanges on U.S. 117 South at Country Club Road and at O'Berry Road at Dudley have been approved.
The state has budgeted $1.38 million for right of way for each interchange. Construction cost is budgeted at $7.296 million at O'Berry Road and $10.26 million at Country Club Road.
Crews already have tested the subsurface conditions at the two locations for the overpass foundations, and construction is expected to start next summer.
Because of U.S. 117's proximity to U.S. 117 Alternate, the overpass will take U.S. 117 over Country Club Road. Two bridges will be built, one for each direction on 117. The project at O'Berry Road will take that road over U.S. 117.