Salisbury, MD – The City of Salisbury will begin upgrades to a raw water line along Naylor Mill Road and announces a traffic pattern change beginning Monday, January 30.
During routine maintenance and inspections, a support issue was identified for a raw water line that brings water from the well field to the Paleo Water Treatment Plant for treatment. Due to higher than normal rain amounts and unusual temperatures, the pilons supporting the raw water line have shifted and decayed faster than anticipated and compromised the structure.
A plan is in place to lay a new pipe along Naylor Mill Rd. and update any water valves along the way, but this will cause traffic disruption in the area and frequent drivers along this path are advised to seek alternative routes. The drilling, installation, and completion of the new line will take 4 months, with two main phases of construction.
From Monday, January 30 until Friday, February 3, traffic on the Naylor Mill Rd. bridge (between the Lodges at Naylor Mill and Henry S. Parker Athletic Complex) will be limited to one lane. The westbound lane will be closed to allow space for the installation of a water line bypass. During this time, both eastbound and westbound traffic will alternate through the eastbound lane with flaggers. Immediate residences will not be affected.
For approximately the next four months, traffic on the Naylor Mill Rd. bridge will return to two lanes. These two lanes will be narrowed to allow space for the water line bypass. Please allow additional time for commuting through the area and seek alternative routes if necessary.
Recommended traffic detours include north to Connelly Mill Rd., south to Isabella St., and the Rt. 50 Bypass.
“Although this may seem like a quick action from the public’s perspective, this upgrade has been planned and prepared for,” said Jennifer Lind, Deputy Director of the Department of Infrastructure and Development. “We were forced to expedite the upgrade due to unforeseen weather events, particularly the storm event during the weekend of December 23, 2022. Contractors and materials are lined up and ready to begin work, thanks to the hard work and preparation of our teams.”
Salisbury’s drinking water, rated the best tasting in the state of Maryland, remains safe and unaffected by this upgrade. With questions, please contact the Department of Infrastructure and Development at 410-548-3170.
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To read this press release online, please visit https://salisbury.md/?p=59334.
