*** NEW UPDATE ***

Lane Closures – 6800 - 7100 blocks of Forest Hill Avenue

WHO:  City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (https://twitter.com/DPUStreetNews) 
 
WHAT:  Travel lanes in the 6800 – 7100 blocks of Forest Hill Avenue are impacted
 
WHEN:  Additional traffic impacts begin Friday, May 17 

WHERE: 6800 - 7100 blocks of Forest Hill Avenue (between Joe Brooks Boulevard and Hathaway Road)

BACKGROUND:  The City of Richmond became aware of a collapsed sewer main in this section of Forest Hill Avenue in April 2024. Temporary measures were taken which included stabilizing the ground to prevent additional collapse as well the installation of a bypass system to ensure no impact to sewer services.

City and contracted planners and engineers have developed a plan of action to replace the failed pipe and assess other areas of concern. Permanent replacement work will begin on Monday, May 20. The Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) barriers and notices will be installed beginning Friday, May 17 at 9:00 a.m.

Work will require that the eastbound traffic lanes of Forest Hill Avenue be closed between Joe Brooks Boulevard and Hathaway Road. Both eastbound and westbound lanes of Forest Hill Avenue traffic will share use of westbound lanes for the duration of the project. Access to businesses on Forest Hill Avenue will remain open during construction.

The detour will remain in place permanently until project completion, with the entire project anticipated to be complete by December 2024. Work hours are scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, Monday through Friday. During the work there will be large trucks and other construction equipment operating daily, which will result in an increased level of noise during working hours.

Motorists are reminded to pay attention to signage in the area, and to use caution while traveling through the work zone. Riders of GRTC buses are encouraged to check updated schedules (via ridegrtc.com or the GRTC mobile app) for changes to bus stops or schedules before travel.

Most sewers were installed in the early 1900’s and have deteriorated to the point that they have begun to leak, have failed (collapsed), or are at risk of failure. If not addressed, settling of road surfaces, back-ups, and other problems may occur.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while this critical infrastructure work continues. There is no impact to the water service in the area; your water supply remains safe for drinking and recreational activities.

Full project details can be found here: https://www.rva.gov/public-utilities/news/forest-hill-avenue-sanitary-sewer-replacement-project

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DPU is replacing deteriorated sewer mains and reinstating associated sewer service laterals along the 3200 block of North Avenue.

The Combined Sewer Overflow Project – CSO – 004 is the first of several projects designed to control the city’s sewer overflows.

Traffic Advisory

WHO:  City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (https://twitter.com/DPUStreetNews) 
 
WHAT:  Eastbound lane and right turn lane closures
 
WHEN:  Eastbound Lane is currently closed; turn lane closures have been added

WHERE: 6800 - 6900 blocks of Forest Hill Avenue

BACKGROUND:  The eastbound outer lane of Forest Hill Avenue between Hathaway and Cherokee Roads is closed due to a collapsed sewer main. Right turn lane closures have been added, to protect the safety of the workers in the work zone.

Emergency sewer line replacement will be required and will be underway soon. Currently, bypass features are in place to ensure there is no impact to sewer services. Most sewers were installed in the early 1900’s and have deteriorated to the point that they have begun to leak, have failed (collapsed), or are at risk of failure. If not addressed, settling of road surfaces, back-ups, and other problems may occur.

City and contracted planners and engineers are developing a plan of action to immediately replace the failed pipe and assess other areas of concern. Updates are forthcoming that will include additional impacts and timeline.

Planned pipe rehabilitation will be proceeding in phases in the curb lane from the Windsorview Drive and Forest Hill Avenue intersection area to the Powhite Parkway. This rehabilitation, called cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP), will help prevent future sewer failure. More details on that process can be found here. CIPP work will be contingent on closed-circuit-television (CCTV) footage that will be obtained beginning April 9.

Motorists are reminded to pay attention to signage in the area, and to use caution while traveling through the work zone. Riders of GRTC buses are encouraged to check updated schedules (via ridegrtc.com or the GRTC mobile app) for any changes to bus stops or schedules before travel.

We appreciate the patience and understanding of the traveling public while this critical infrastructure work continues. There is no impact to the water service in the area; your water supply remains safe for drinking and recreational activities.