FOLSOM — Crews are making steady progress on the City of Folsom’s water infrastructure improvement project, a critical undertaking that will improve water reliability for more than 25,000 residential, commercial, and institutional connections. Construction of the new 24-inch water pipeline began earlier this year and will continue through October, bringing traffic impacts along East Bidwell Street and connecting roadways as the work advances.
The project is designed to enhance system capacity, provide redundancy, and ensure that the city’s water system keeps pace with both current demand and future growth. The pipeline will stretch from East Bidwell Street and Iron Point Road to the city’s Water Treatment Plant on Natoma Street, following the rail and trail corridor along East Bidwell, up Oak Avenue Parkway, and through the Oak Parkway Trail corridor.
Work this month is focused on mainline installation along East Bidwell from Oak Avenue to Scholar Way, road surface restoration on Oak Avenue Parkway, and storm drain improvements. Crews will also be conducting pressure testing of completed sections and paving at key intersections during night hours to help reduce traffic disruptions. Temporary lane closures and brief service interruptions may occur, but residents will be notified in advance of any impacts.
The Oak Parkway Trail, which reopened to the public in early August, remains accessible, though additional landscaping and restoration work will be scheduled during the appropriate season. Motorists and trail users are advised to use caution near active work zones.
The Folsom Water Improvement Project is funded by bonding proceeds from the Community Facilities District No. 18, which supports ongoing development in the southern portion of the city known as the Folsom Plan Area. No funding is drawn from properties north of Highway 50. While the pipeline will serve new development south of the freeway, it is also designed to strengthen water reliability for customers across the city, including those north of Highway 50.
Construction activities include potholing to identify existing conditions, traffic control planning, pipeline tie-ins, and related trail and roadway improvements such as grading, paving, drainage, and tree protection. Most work occurs Monday through Friday during daytime hours, although schedules may shift depending on weather and traffic conditions.
The project represents a major step forward in implementing the city’s Water Master Plan and Urban Water Management Plan. Once complete, it will provide the reliability and redundancy needed to support the city’s long-term water supply goals and ensure that residents and businesses alike have access to a dependable water system, according to city officials.
For more information and weekly construction updates, visit the City of Folsom’s official website.
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