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City plans 6‑week repair of failing Fry Boulevard sewer interceptor; 2.5‑week closure of Fry expected
Summary
Wastewater staff reported a sagging 10‑inch vitreous clay interceptor under Fry Boulevard that requires repair; the city plans a 6‑week construction window with a 2.5‑week full closure of Fry/Bridal Boulevard segment before ADOT paving.
Bryce Kirkpatrick, external operations manager for the wastewater division, told council crews are cleaning a 10-inch gravity-fed vitreous clay sewer interceptor under Fry Boulevard near the State Route 90/92 intersection because a sag in the pipe has worsened. The line serves roughly 140 acres of residential and commercial connections; maintenance crews are currently cleaning it at least twice a month to prevent backups.
Kirkpatrick said crews have observed additional settling and longitudinal cracks upstream and downstream of the sag. Because the interceptor is vitreous clay and located about 13 feet deep, continued movement could cause a fracture that would be more costly and disruptive to repair. Staff reported that ADOT has tentatively scheduled paving in the spring and asked the city to complete the crossing repair before ADOT’s paving to avoid damaging new pavement.
Planned work includes a full closure of Bridal/Fry Boulevard for an estimated 2.5 weeks; the overall construction schedule is expected to span six weeks. The city described a detour plan routing traffic to Avenida Escuela and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway; staff said one alternate entrance near Circle K will remain open to maintain some business access and that staff will coordinate detailed signage and direct outreach to businesses before work begins.
Funding and coordination: staff said funds for the repair have been budgeted from the sewer enterprise fund and that the city is coordinating with ADOT, SSVEC (electric utility) and the contractor. Staff also noted the sewer enterprise fund is under pressure and that two alternative repair options that would avoid a full road closure would add roughly $500,000 in cost; those higher-cost alternatives were not recommended.
Emergency-service and traffic mitigation planning: the police and fire representatives said they would preplan incident response and traffic control to maintain emergency access during the closure. Staff said they will post notices, perform direct business outreach and work with the contractor on whether night work is required.
Ending: staff characterized the briefing as a notification of planned work; no council vote was required. Staff said they will proceed with contractor selection, permitting and public-notification steps to begin the repair prior to ADOT paving.
