Project

As part of a long-term effort to reduce basement backups and sewer overflows, MSD Project Clear is designing a project to replace undersized sanitary sewers in Affton.

This project is estimated to begin construction in January 2022.

Watch Virtual Town Hall Project Presentation - Aug 12, 2020

Why is this project being designed?

A number of residents have experienced building back-ups, mainly due to overcharged sewers that cannot handle the increased amount of flow experienced during rainfall.

What is the goal of this project?

MSD Project Clear is investing $3.226 million to design and construct this project to increase the size and depth of the existing sewer.  This will alleviate existing problems resulting from undersized sewers.

Project Facts

• Construction is estimated to begin January 2022.
• MSD Project Clear will replace approximately 2,450 feet of sanitary pipe.
• The pipe size will increase to 21-inches in diameter allowing a larger amount of wastewater to flow through the system.
• This project will remove 1  constructed overflow to prevent untreated wastewater from spilling into local waterways.

What can residents expect?

Though construction for this project is about a year away, it is important to be prepared for what to expect. By July 2021, residents whose property will need to be accessed to construct the project will be contacted in order to obtain necessary easements.

Type of Construction:

With any type of construction, residents can expect to see and hear heavy equipment during the sewer excavation process. The majority of this project will be constructed by digging through the surface of the ground, in a process known as “open-cut” construction. 

To minimize traffic impacts, “tunneling” will be used to cross Gravois Rd and Mackenzie Rd. This means that a hole about 40ft X 20ft called a boring pit will be dug at multiple locations to drop a Tunnel Boring Machine approximately 15-25 ft underground to dig through the soil and rock. This will ensure that these 2 major thoroughfares are disturbed as little as possible.

There will also be some work done, including excavating the ground, in the Affton School District Administration Building and Affton Plaza parking lots. There is planned construction adjacent to the new 9-Mile Garden Food Truck as well.

Traffic Impact:

As a part of this project, MSD Project Clear does expect traffic impacts to residential streets in this area. There will be temporary road closures on Radio Drive, Lavern Place, Sterling Place, Swifton Ave. Depending on where residents live, there are access issues to driveways expected. If you have concerns about these access issues, please make sure to contact the MSD Project Manager, Steve Roberts, and let us know so that the Contract will be able to work with you as much as possible.

Construction is expected to reduce access points to the new 9 Mile Garden food truck development. At no point is construction expected to close 9 Mile Garden, but there will be temporary access issues at certain points.

Restoration:

After all new sewer pipes are installed, the contractor will restore the construction site according to all St. Louis County requirements. This could include sodding any disturbed areas, replacing disturbed pavement, reinstalling fences, etc. More detail on this will become available after a contractor is selected for the project ahead of construction in January 2022.

What is the timeline?

This is the current tentative project schedule. This is subject to change based on a variety of factors including weather.

• Project design completion: September 2020
• Easement acquisition completion: July 2021
• Estimated construction start: January 2022
• Estimated project duration: Two years, January 2024