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 Warson Woods, Ladue, Kirkwood, Rock Hill and Glendale.

This project is estimated to begin construction in Summer 2022.

Watch Virtual Town Hall Project Presentation - Sept 3, 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.

In addition, the sewer system in this area uses old technology called overflow points where untreated wastewater is discharged into waterways during heavy rainfall to prevent the water from backing up into buildings. There are three of these overflow points that need to be removed in this area.

What is the goal of this project?

MSD Project Clear is investing approximately $9 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 Summer 2022.
• MSD Project Clear will replace approximately 10,700 feet of sanitary pipe.
• The pipe size will increase to between 8 to 30-inches in diameter allowing a larger amount of wastewater to flow through the system.
• This project will remove 3 constructed overflows to prevent untreated wastewater from spilling into local waterways.

What can residents expect?

Though construction for this project is not estimated to begin until Summer 2022, it is important to be prepared for what to expect. By the Fall of 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 Manchester Road. This means that a hole called a boring pit will be dug at multiple locations to drop a Tunnel Boring Machine underground to dig through the soil and rock. Tunneling is being used in this area to ensure that the surface of Manchester Road is disturbed as little as possible.

Traffic Impact:

As a part of this project, MSD Project Clear does expect traffic impacts to residential streets in this area. Impacted roadways in which construction will take place include Des Peres Avenue, Warson Woods Drive, Glen Elm Drive, Glenway Drive, Alexandra Avenue, Alexandra Drive, Belson Court, and Brownell Avenue. Construction will also impact Royal Oaks Park/Memorial Park in Warson Woods, an office building and shopping center, and a car dealership. More specific information including timing and locations of these closures will become available once the project has a Contractor and they can determine a set schedule.

MSD Project Clear also expects that there will be instances where property owners could have reduced or limited access to their properties due to this project. However, the Contractor will be required to maintain access to both residential and commercial properties. The Contractor will provide notice to affected residents before construction takes place.

Restoration:

After all new sewer pipes are installed, the Contractor will restore the construction site according to all District and local 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 the Summer of 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: Winter 2022
• Easement acquisition completion: Fall 2022
• Estimated construction start: Spring 2023
• Estimated project duration: Three years, Spring 2026