09-05-2025
Town saving $1 million on Locust and Hamm waterline
A waterline project in the Town of Lockport has come in $1 million under estimate, town engineer Robert Klavoon announced at a board work session.
The board had accepted a bid of $4.9 million from Milherst Construction of Clarence Center for the Locust Street and Hamm Road waterline project that was set to begin this summer. Klavoon said the bid was $1 million below the project's estimate.
The project will begin after July 4 due to a six-week turnaround time for an order of valves, Klavoon said. The work will start at the corner of Beattie Avenue and Locust Street and head west, he said.
Wendel Engineers will send a letter to the 164 residences impacted by the project and will include a link where residents can find progress updates.
Klavoon said the project will address lines that have had nearly 60 leaks since 2000, and it will improve water pressure and usability for fire service.
'The current line was installed in 1965,' Klavoon said at a November public information presentation. 'There have been many breaks along this line.' For Hamm and Locust, the new line will consist of a 10-inch PVC pipe, replacing a 6-inch cast iron pipe. Klavoon said the new pipe will be surrounded by loose rock to alleviate shifting ground and should last 100 years.
Klavoon said this summer's work will concentrate on Locust Street.
'Hamm Road residents are not going to see construction this year,' he said.
An above-ground supply line will be installed incrementally as the project advances, to ensure no disruption in water service. To avoid issues of the supply line freezing, construction will proceed from mid-March to mid-November.
At the presentation last fall, Kyle Halford of Wendel Engineering said 4,700 feet of pipe will be replaced on the south side of Hamm Road between South Transit Road and Beattie Avenue and 7,850 feet along the south and west side of Locust Street from Beattie Avenue to Dorchester Road.
Halford said the project will also replace hydrants and mainline valves, and transfer individual services to the new 10-inch waterline with new service boxes. Everything from the curb box to the main will be new material. We are not going on private property to upgrade their service.
The temporary waterline will be above ground and will run across driveways with material on top of it forming a 'bump' that vehicles can drive over. It will take approximately four to six weeks as each section, Halford said.
