New Philadelphia, Ohio (WTUZ) -   The City of New Philadelphia is hoping grant funding will help them to make necessary repairs along Wabash Avenue.

 

The pipes on Wabash Avenue are over 70 years old, and the City has decided to replace those existing, yet outdated, water and sewer lines.

The work is contingent on funding from an OPWC grant. Out of the total cost of $750,000 for the project, New Philadelphia is applying for up to $500,000.

Service Director Ron McAbier says there is a need to upgrade the current 6” water line to 12” to increase volume and reliability.

“The water line was always in a sub-soil that wasn’t conducive to the water lines and whenever they dug up there, they just laid it back in, and it was never put in correctly, and we’ve had quite a few leaks over the years, so we’d like to address that problem, plus upgrade the line.”

The project would then include installing new curbs and resurfacing Wabash Ave. from 2nd NW to Park Lane. It would likely cause substantial traffic delays.

If approved, the City should be notified of possible funding by the end of November, with a 2019 date set for completion.