One Lane Santa Fe
GRANTS, N.M. Drivers on westbound Santa Fe Ave noticed the road went to one lane from the U.S. Post Office to Gold Street, and High Street was closed from 911 Memorial to Iron Street.
City Manager Donald Jaramillo said two months ago, the city found sewage overflowing from a collapsed sewer pipe into Fire and Ice Park next to the Post Office. This caused an Emergency Purchase Order (PO) of $166,000 which needed approval from the city council because the expenditure is over $20,000. Due to public safety from exposure to sewage water, the city council approved the order.
The city looked at various ways to temporarily fix the situation until the USDA project could get started, but the issue went beyond a simple solution. Sewer and water lines in Grants consist of a maze of pipes, most with no function, and the collapsed pipe added a special challenge because it contained asbestos.
Compass Construction bypassed the old line going through Fire and Ice Park and routed it through TBK Bank’s parking lot next to the Post Office. The manhole also needed to be adjusted to ensure sewage water had the proper angle to drain.
TBK Bank’s drivethrough service had to close due to the construction, and in the beginning stages of the project, access to the main parking lot of the Post Office was closed intermittently.
Funding for this emergency repair came from $1.1 million set aside from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This federal act addressed the negative impact of the public health emergency and is used for numerous aspects as needed by municipalities. One of these uses involves the investment in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
Completion of this project should be this week and normal operations of the road will resume.