Watch out! Water line construction will shut down lanes along this Bluffton road
Construction of a large water main line will result in lane closures along S.C. 170 near Bluffton Parkway over the next two weeks, according to Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority.
The water main along S.C. 170, Bluffton Parkway and Buckwalter Parkway — 3.5 miles, or 18,785 feet, of piping — will connect to a future 165-foot-tall water tower planned near Bluffton and Buckwalter parkways. Officials have previously said the projects are intended to improve water pressure and quality in a part of Bluffton bustling with new growth.
Construction crews will begin installing pipes, a process called jack and bore installation, under Gibbet Road near S.C. 170 this week, according to BJWSA. The intersection at Gibbet Road will remain open during construction, but the northeast-bound shoulder of S.C. 170 will be closed, the public water company said.
On Monday, crews will start installing the the water main near Gibbet Road and S.C. 170. That water main will continue northeast along S.C. 170 toward Lawton Station, the company said.
Installation of the water main will result in partial lane closures along S.C 170 starting next week. Construction is tentatively scheduled from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Crews are expected to complete the project next summer, likely in July, according to BJWSA engineering director Rebecca Bowyer.
Bowyer, reached by phone Tuesday, said BJWSA is in the process of purchasing property near Buckwalter and Bluffton parkways to house the planned water tower. The tower is expected to hold 1.5-million gallons of water — the same size as the tower along Robert Smalls Parkway in Beaufort, according to BJWSA.
The anticipated $18.7 million water main and tower is the public water company’s first design-build project — an expedited process used by companies to overlap the design and construction phases of a project.
Construction of the tower is expected to begin next month and will be completed in 2023, Bowyer said.
As the project unfolds, Bowyer said BJWSA will notify residents two weeks in advance of any changes.
