FARMINGTON -- Moving Davis County storm water to Great Salt Lake without the east-to-west flow disrupting major north-to-south transportation corridors is taking a team effort.
The Davis County Commission on Tuesday approved a contract between county public works and Union Pacific Railroad that allows the county to bore beneath the railroad tracks in two locations to upgrade and replace two concrete flood-control culverts.
Because of deterioration, those culverts are holding water along the east side of Interstate 15.
The $1.1 million project involves boring beneath the six lanes of the interstate and the UPR and Utah Transit Authority railroad tracks, a length of about 300 feet, in two locations to install 66-inch water pipes, said Kirk Schmalz, Davis County flood-control director.
"We don't want water going over the highway or the tracks," he said.
The project is funded by the $27 million revenue bond the commission approved for flood-control work in 2009.
The county is still awaiting a work permit from UTA, Schmalz said, but in situations like this, UTA generally follows the lead of UPR officials, who have approved the project.
Railroad spokesman Aaron Hunt said the company did grant a permit to Davis County, "and we do plan on supporting the county on the project."
UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter said the agency has received a request from Davis County, but before issuing a permit, UTA is waiting to receive the plans approved by UPR.
"Basically, we just need to see their approved plan, and then we will issue the permit," he said.
The work will take place at railroad milepost 803.27 in Kaysville and railroad milepost 792.99 in Centerville, allowing storm water to flow more easily beneath the highway and railroad tracks, Schmalz said.
"By the time you get to the (freeway), you're moving a lot of water," he said.
"All water (in the county) flows from east to west. All the transportation corridors go from north to south. Any time we move water, we have to go through our transportation corridors."
The county's cost for the Centerville pipeline is $514,000, Schmalz said, with that project being done in conjunction with a Utah Department of Transportation road upgrade to begin in August in the same area.
The project in Kaysville will cost about $600,000, Schmalz said.
The hope is to have the projects complete by the end of the year, he said.
Runoff from the heavy snowpack has put a lot of water in the county's flood- control channels, delaying the work until the smaller summer flows begin.
"It is a pretty good chance, if it is county work, that they have already talked to (UDOT) and have a permit," UDOT spokesman Vic Saunders said of the project, which has already been completed up to the east side of the freeway.
"All of those items are generally worked out well in advance before the project proceeds."
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