Contractors met Tuesday afternoon with Richmond County Public Works Director Bryan Land to go over the details of the Highway 220 Pump Station Relocation project.
Land held the meeting along with Senior Engineer Billy Dixon of Municipal Engineering Services Company, P.A.
“The water booster pump station is part of the Department of Transportation’s project where they are adding service roads and access to Highway 220,” said Dixon. “The pump station is on the right side of the highway if you are going north. The work begins at the end of March and it’s based on a lump sum bid. The project is going to the lowest responsible bidder. It’s funded by Richmond County through the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It’s not part of the DOT project but it impacts it.”
Dixon explained to the contractors that there is a pump at the location, and a new pump needs to be build. The contractor would then be responsible for transitioning the water flow from the old, active pump to the new pump. Land explained that the potable water coming through the pump station is pumped up the hill to Ellerbe and made available to the residents on the north end of the county.
“There is a sewer line behind the pump station now. After the construction it will be in front,” said Dixon. “More clearing for the pump site needs to be done.”
Several questions came up during the meeting. One contractor asked what to do about the long wait contractors face when procuring pumps. He said on average he faces 2 to 30 weeks lead time on pumps, which could delay the project and run up the cost. Another contractor asked how long the old pump could be out before the new pump has to be attached and operating, to which Land said no more than six hours.
“Very little,” said Land. “I’d hate to go more than six hours but it depends on the usage. It controls the north end of the county so the best time would be evening or weekend, a period of low usage. I can calculate it.”
According to Land, this pump station construction will cost between $600,000 and $800,000.
Another difference people may notice is that the new pump station will be all above ground. Currently, some of the equipment is housed underground, which warrants certain paperwork and supervision before any maintenance work can take place. The pump station will also be further back from the highway by 100 feet, Land said.
“We’re moving it out of the way to make room for the Highway 220 bypass,” said Land. “The bid is in the spring. Essentially, NCDOT is building service roads and access points along the road.”
When driving north on Highway 220, on the right side behind the treeline, you may notice a stretch of land has been cleared of trees. Land explained that a service road will run parallel to the highway, enabling safer access to homes along the highway. Travelers on the road will notice roadwork along the road after Billy Covington Road, once construction begins.
According to Land, once the pump station on Highway 220 is complete, it will look similar to the pump station on silver Grove Church Road in Rockingham.
— Staff Writer Dawn M. Kurry can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 15, or by email at dkurry@heartlandpublications.com.
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