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Engineer says century-old storm sewer drove temporary full closure at Fillmore; residents urge clearer notice
Summary
City engineer told council crews closed the Fillmore/4th intersection to modify a century-old storm sewer and planned to reopen one lane while working; residents said they received little notice and reported business, emergency response, and traffic impacts.
Councilors and residents pressed staff for details about the full closure of 4th Street at the Fillmore intersection as construction continues.
Clay Merit, of Engineering and Capital Projects, said crews must not only reconstruct the pavement and subbase but also modify an almost 100-year-old segmental-block storm sewer that runs near the center of the intersection. Merit said the safest initial approach was a full intersection shutdown to expose and repair the storm sewer but that staff and the contractor identified a possible path to reopen one lane while work proceeds on north and south sides. Merit warned, however, that if the exposed sewer begins to deteriorate, safety concerns could force a longer full closure until permanent repairs are complete.
Several residents described business disruptions and safety concerns. Jeff West said he was not notified about the closure, noted heavy traffic that includes police, ambulances and buses, and urged clearer public notice and signage when lanes reopen. Another resident said the closure left some businesses effectively inaccessible and suggested staggered work and police coordination to keep lanes open at peak times.
City staff said they will provide a timeline after investigative work and pledged to follow up with specific reopening information. The council asked staff to seek ways to reduce business impacts, including improved signage, schedule coordination, and communication with affected property owners.
