550 feet of road damaged: break
Farragut officials were notified by Whaley staff early Monday, June 21, of the 8-inch water main break near the intersection with Andover Boulevard, which caused “extensive road damage” on the exit road of Andover’s front entrance, according to a report from Town engineer Darryl Smith.
A water main break last week along Smith Road was quickly addressed by a Whaley Construction crew, who actually discovered the issue when arriving at the Town’s under-construction Smith Road sidewalk project.
Farragut officials were notified by Whaley staff early Monday, June 21, of the 8-inch water main break near the intersection with Andover Boulevard, which caused “extensive road damage” on the exit road of Andover’s front entrance, according to a report from Town engineer Darryl Smith.
While repairs ultimately are the financial responsibility of First Utility District, Town staff and Whaley immediately stepped up to make repairs to the roadway, while FUD’s crew repaired the burst main.
“Whaley became aware of the problems upon arrival to the project site, around 7 a.m., and notified Town staff,” the report stated. “The burst water main is not related to the ongoing construction along Smith Road.”
About 550 feet of roadway was impacted and needed to be replaced. Smith’s report noted additional damage north of the site, as well as on Southwick Circle.
Town Public Works staff helped direct traffic in and out of the subdivision, “as all traffic (ingoing and outgoing) had to share a single northbound lane,” Smith’s report stated.
The Town Engineering department also quickly assembled an emergency services contract with Whaley for “time and materials,” in which the Town pays hourly rates for workers and equipment with a small markup on the cost of materials, Smith said.
Farragut’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the contract during its regular meeting Thursday, June 24. “We don’t know total costs yet, but we anticipate something in the ballpark of $200k to $250,000,” Smith added.
Town administrator David Smoak said the funds would be taken temporarily from the Capital Investments Program’s reserve fund balance.
“First Utility District maintains insurance for this type of occurrence, and we anticipate full reimbursement of all Town expenses,” Smith’s report stated.
Additionally, Smith said the bulk of the repairs are estimated to be complete by July 2.
Farragutpress attempted to contact First Utility District for a comment, but was unsuccessful as of press time.
