City approves water utility relocation along Lowry Road

Chelsea Weeks, Claremore Daily Progress, Okla.
·2 min read

Aug. 16—A project expected to cost over $750K will begin within the next 30 days on Lowry Road.

Claremore Public Works Authority awarded the Lowry Bridge Utility Relocation project to Green Construction LLC during its regular meeting Monday.

City Engineer Garrett Ball said this $759,206 project is the next step in replacing the Lowry Road bridge.

"When we get the utilities moved, we'll bid the installation construction of the bridge out," he said.

Ball said they hope to go out to bid for the project in October and have construction beginning in December or January.

The Lowry Bridge project will be using a new system for the first time called Fast Cast Bridge system.

"So, it's basically a new design that uses pre-made steel forms that you use to set in place, and then you pour concrete within those forms and the concrete and the form itself, all stays in place — and that makes the bridge system," he said.

Ball said it cuts down construction time considerably. This bridge project, which would normally take five months, will take five weeks, Ball said.

The bridge will replace three 36-inch corrugated metal pipes that were installed in the 80s.

"They're not repairable," he said. "The bottoms are rotted out of them. The street department had to go out there several times and do patches on them."

Ball said Lowry Road Bridge floods anytime there's a moderate rainfall event.

Ball said the city has been working on replacing the Lowry Road bridge since 2015. So far they've been able to design the new bridge (a process that can take up to a year); apply for permitting; and relocated the gas, electric and communication lines.

Ball said the utilities in the utility relocation project will be moved underground and will be completed in 90 days.

"We're just basically just moving out of the out of the way of the bridge construction," he said.

The utilities that are being moved include water, raw water — the water line that brings water from Oologah Lake to Claremore Lake — and sanitary sewer.