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Rutland road commissioner outlines south‑end sewer reroute; state permit and bidding expected within weeks
Summary
The Rutland road commissioner described a plan to install new manholes and replace a sewer run along Route 7 South, requiring a state right‑of‑way permit and a mix of open‑cut and bored crossings. Staff expect permit submission this week and to put the work out to bid within a couple of weeks.
The Town of Rutland’s road commissioner described a proposed replacement of a failing south‑end sewer run on Route 7 South and said staff expect to submit state permit applications by the end of the week and to issue construction bid documents within a couple of weeks.
“This is the proposed changes for that sewer issue we have down on the South end,” the road commissioner said, describing new manholes and a new pipe run that would move the line north to an existing manhole near the Taco Bell driveway and then continue past the Hampton Inn.
The design shown to the select board would add a new manhole in front of the manhole that serves the flow from Denny’s, install a new run of pipe between manholes, and avoid a present cross‑road line in front of Sports Clips. The plan calls for a sleeve under one crossing and an open‑cut across a Town‑owned strip of grass between Route 7 and Cop John Drive, reducing the length of boring required.
The road commissioner said the proposed crossing under Route 7 would be about 17 feet deep at the roadway and that soils and existing grade require that depth to maintain proper gravity flow. He described options the contractor may use while working across the existing live sewer, including short periods of bypass pumping to preserve service while crews dig and install the sleeve or the new pipe.
“We may have to do some bypass pumping for a short period of time as they’re digging past there,” the road commissioner said, adding that if the boring sleeve approach “doesn’t work, we just leave the sleeve.”
Town staff identified two practical advantages to the proposed approach: it removes the cross‑road segment that currently runs in front of Sports Clips, and using a partial open cut on the Town‑owned lawn (rather than a full long bore under the roadway) shortens the boring run by roughly 100 feet, which the road commissioner said reduces deflection risk for a sleeved crossing.
Town staff said Otter Creek Engineering prepared the drawing shown to the board and that Robert (project staff) is preparing the state permit submittal now. The road commissioner told the board he anticipates the state permit will be submitted either by the end of this week or in early next week and that bid documents will follow so the town can put the project out to bid “within a couple weeks.”
No formal action or vote was taken by the select board at the special meeting; the presentation was informational and staff said they would return with permit approvals and bid documents when they are ready.
What’s next: staff will complete permit submissions, then issue bid documents. The project timeline and construction method depend on the state permit outcome and contractor proposals.
