Crews will soon replace aging water pipes beneath Davis Road

April 28, 2008 —

Under Davis Road lies a large, concrete, 36-inch water pipe that nearly exceeded its use and is being replaced by an even larger, more suitable pipe for the growing community.

The 36-inch pipe was put under the road back in the 1940s. The pipe runs from Lake Huron near Tawas and provides water for the city of Saginaw. It is the main water line for Midland, as well.

"When the shorter pipe was outgrown somewhere during the sixties it no longer had the carrying capacity it once did," said Stephen Hocquard, Assistant Vice President of Campus Facilities.

A larger pipe was built to support the others' deficiencies and the 48-inch pipe became the main source for bringing in raw water from the lake, while the 36-inch pipe was reused to bring the treated back.

Now, the 36-inch pipe is in need of replacement and, in order to do this, a new pipe is going to be installed along the west side of the road going from Pierce Road to Freeland Road. Instead of taking out the entire pipe, filling the space with dirt and compacting it, it will be filled with lightweight concrete and left there.

After construction has moved out of the south Saginaw area, the current worksite, it will continue north to start work on university property at College Drive and Pierce.

They will put up traffic lights, new roads, curbs and crosswalks to enhance the campus feel and safety of its students.

Hocquard anticipates the project will be completed by the middle of summer or sometime in August.

"Hopefully, they are done before school starts," Hocquard said.