BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — A mile-long stretch of South Main Street in Broken Arrow is getting new pipes and fresh pavement as the city works to replace water infrastructure that dates back more than a century.
The project includes approximately 4,180 feet of new 12-inch water line, five new fire hydrants on the west side of Main Street, and a full mill-and-overlay of the road surface. Combined, the water line replacement and paving work carry a total price tag of approximately $1.8 million — about $700,000 for the water line and $1.1 million for the mill and overlay.
Aaron McColloch with the city said the pipes being replaced go back to Broken Arrow’s original bond project.
“We’re replacing an old water line that going from Houston all the way 1 mile south to Washington.”
The water line work is complete. Paving crews are expected to finish laying new asphalt Tuesday afternoon. Lane striping on Main Street is expected to begin Friday and be completed during the week of Labor Day. The project began in mid-May.
Funding for the water line project comes from a low-interest loan from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and is paid off with fees collected from water customers. The work on the street is paid for with Street Sales Tax dollars.
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Neighbors along South Main Street say they have already noticed a difference. Josh Ramaglia, who lives just off the corridor, said the work has had a direct impact on his home.
“I can say that the water infrastructure has gotten better in our house.”
Ramaglia said the short-term inconvenience of construction is worth it for what the project will deliver long term.
“We just live right off the, the main street here. So, um, I think the upgrades have been helpful. Uh, the inconvenience of construction, I mean, that’s, you’ve got to do it. So I don’t really have any big complaints. I’m just happy it’s getting done.”
He added that the investment should pay dividends well beyond the present.
“Replacing this infrastructure is not only gonna help us right now but hopefully if this is done correctly which I think it is, its going to last for generations so this small investment is going to pay off for years to come.”
Fellow resident Autumn Ramaglia said navigating the construction zone has been manageable.
“I just have to go around the traffic which is isn’t very far in Broken Arrow you just have to go to the next street over usually.”
The overlay project is done on one side of the street, with crews now moving over to finish the other side.
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Work is also planned for Washington Street between Main Street and 1st Place — approximately 600 feet of roadway. The contractor is scheduled to mill that stretch Wednesday, with asphalt expected to be laid Thursday and, if needed, Friday.
Once the South Main Street project wraps up, another effort will get underway next spring. That project will rehab the street surface further north on Main Street, starting at the railroad tracks just south of the Rose District and running north to Kenosha Street — also known as 71st Street — a stretch just shy of a mile. The city has budgeted $650,000 for that work in the current fiscal year, though no specific start date has been announced. To minimize disruption, crews will work block by block, completing one side of the street, then the other before moving to the next block.
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