Lower Burrell planning $170K drainage project on Craigdell Road

Lower Burrell is applying for a state grant to help pay for repairs to drainage pipes along and under Craigdell Road in the Kay Street area.

Matt Pitsch of Senate Engineering, the city’s engineer, said the aging pipes need to be repaired before their condition worsens.

The city is seeking a $132,000 grant from the state Department of Economic Development.

The project’s overall cost is projected to be about $170,000. The city would need to come up with about $38,000 if it were to secure the state grant, Pitsch said.

The Craigdell Road area is a major collection point for stormwater. Several other pipes and a large drainage basin all collect at this point for water to be piped out of the city, according to Pitsch.

The existing corrugated metal pipes are corroding. Pitsch has proposed a trenchless repair in which a sleeve would be inserted inside the pipe to strengthen and shore it up rather than digging it up and laying new pipe. However, one of the pipes is too corroded to be repaired and needs to be replaced, he said.

Trenchless pipe repairs can be done year round, Pitsch said.

There is no set date for a decision on the grant application.

“Once we find out if the project is awarded, it will take about another month or two to get all agreements and contracts in order and about another month to properly advertise and bid,” he said.