Replacement of 16-inch Waterline to Begin Thursday, Jan. 18, at East 21st Street, South Peoria Avenue; Intersection Remains Closed

1/17/2018

After a 16-inch waterline broke on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and caused street flooding, pavement buckling and closing of the East 21^st Street and South Peoria Avenue intersection, construction will begin Thursday, Jan. 18, to replace this early 20th-century waterline.

City of Tulsa Water Distribution crews worked on this waterline in below-freezing temperatures and have restored water service to customers in the area. The waterline was scheduled for replacement as part of an upcoming Improve Our Tulsa street rehabilitation project for the 21^st and Peoria intersection. Because the waterline broke this week and damaged the street, it will be replaced now, while the street is being repaired around it.

Located just west of Peoria Avenue on 21^st Street, the portion of waterline that failed is not the same waterline that was installed as part of the recently completed street reconstruction project on 21^st Street between Peoria Avenue and Lewis Avenue. That project included new waterline up to 300 feet east of the Peoria intersection.

Waterline construction on Thursday will begin on 21^st Street at Owasso Avenue (west of Peoria), working east to the location where the new waterline stopped (300 feet east of Peoria). The entire intersection will remain closed through this weekend. Next week it is likely that one lane in each direction can be opened on 21^st Street, with access to turn north on Peoria.

When the waterline has been installed across Peoria Avenue, the street will be paved over the waterline, and full traffic can be restored on Peoria Avenue. Traffic on 21^st Street will remain one lane in each direction until the waterline replacement is complete. Completion of the entire project is estimated for four weeks, including testing the new waterline and restoring the pavement.