Council awards $65,800 contract to replace collapsing manhole at Church Street and Highway 1069

Ingleside — The City Council authorized a construction contract with JJ Fox Construction in the amount of $65,800 to replace a collapsing brick manhole at the intersection of Church Street and State Highway 1069.

City staff explained the brick manhole is failing and that current TCEQ rules no longer permit brick manholes for the municipal collection system; the replacement must be a prefabricated concrete manhole or a fiberglass unit. Staff said the work will require bypass pumping because multiple sewer lines converge at that manhole and that the contractor will begin work after award. Funding will come from the city's collection/operations budget.

Public questions during the discussion focused on whether the work would interrupt traffic and whether the city would coordinate with Texas Department of Transportation; staff said the manhole sits on the easement off the roadway and that work should not require lane closures, though they will coordinate with TxDOT as necessary. "We're replacing it with a prefab concrete manhole... JJ Fox is recommended to do the work," staff said.

Council voted to award the contract to JJ Fox for $65,800. Staff said the contractor typically mobilizes quickly and will cap and bypass flows to allow replacement without large system interruptions.

Why it matters: The repair addresses an immediate public‑works infrastructure failure in the sewer collection system; timely replacement complies with TCEQ standards and reduces the risk of sinkholes or service interruptions.

Next steps: Staff will execute the contract, coordinate bypass operations and TxDOT coordination if needed, and provide updates on schedule and completion.