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City of Santa Maria: Water line project on Broadway begins

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Broadway is a busy street in the City of Santa Maria.

And it’s about to get even busier.

"Starting this week and for the remainder of the year … a contractor will be cutting asphalt ... crews will be excavating 51 valve replacements along Broadway," said public information officer Mark van de Kamp of the City of Santa Maria.

City managers say this will cause temporary water service interruptions for some businesses in the area.

"But it is temporary ... and we’re doing this in advance in preparation for Caltrans. They will conduct a pavement improvement project on Broadway starting early next year,” said van de Kamp.

Van de Kamp says the valve replacement will progress quickly along Broadway, but it will require some traffic lane closures.

“It would help with drivers ... so people could drive a lot safer," says driver Marlena Carreia of Santa Maria.

Plans to improve Broadway Street has been a long time in the works.

"There are a number of cracks in the pavement ... Caltrans and the city are aware of it ... Caltrans owns Broadway and has planned this project for many years," said van de Kamp.

While it may be a little inconvenient as some traffic delays are expected, city managers say it won’t happen all at once.

"Crews will be working in different locations," said van de Kamp.

“It will be worth it, especially because that street is extremely busy,” said Carreia.

This $675,000 construction project will replace valve equipment at the end of its useful life.

The valve replacement project is expected to continue the remainder of this year. 

Residents and businesses will be notified at least 48 hours in advance by the City’s Contractor.

Water service will be interrupted between the hours of 09:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. 

The City staff apologizes in advance for the inconvenience this may cause. 

Residents and businesses are advised to prepare the day before by taking the appropriate steps to store water for their anticipated needs during this time.

City staff strongly recommends that drivers use alternate routes whenever possible, exercise caution, obey all temporary construction signs and reduce driving speeds in construction areas.

Updates also will be posted at www.cityofsantamaria.org/Broadway.

Article Topic Follows: Santa Maria - Lompoc - North County

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Patricia Martellotti

Patricia Martellotti is a reporter for News Channel 3-12. To learn more about Patricia, click here.

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