City of Bartlesville Water Utilities Department crews are working in the downtown area to help prepare for the downtown storm water drainage project.
According to Water Utilities Director Terry Lauristen, City crews are currently doing “investigative-type digs” to confirm utility locations in the area — a necessary step to facilitate the project.
“We started at the Bartlesville Community Center and will go to Fourth Street, between Osage and Dewey,” Lauritsen said.
He said the alleyways will be affected primarily, but motorists could see work on the roadways in a few areas. Temporary lane closures should be expected.
“We may have closures in the alleyways at times, but we will flag traffic around so everyone can get to where they need to be,” Lauritsen said.
The utility location efforts should conclude next week, and crews are set to begin moving sanitary sewer lines within the next 30 days.
Funding for the $2 million project, which will provide improvements to the storm water drainage system in the multi-block area, is available through the voter approved 2013 half-cent sales tax extension.
The drainage project is set to be complete before April, Lauritsen said.