Water Main Replacement on Las Canoas to Close Road Sections

Residents of Las Canoas Road will find 300- to 500-foot sections closed intermittently from now through January 2013. The work begins near the Sheffield Reservoir end of Las Canoas around August 20 and runs Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. till 5 p.m., with the noisy demolition work to hold off until at least 8 a.m. Delays of 15-20 minutes are expected. The 2.4-mile water main replacement project stops just short of Mission Canyon Road.

Should an emergency evacuation become necessary, please remember that Las Canoas may be impassable during working hours. Las Canoas residents are advised to be aware of where the construction is from day to day.

Safety precautions are in place: The road is closed to through traffic. The project is to close down on Red Flag high-fire danger days. The contractor has steel plates on hand to cover the trench should an emergency occur, fire safety equipment, and instructions to move their equipment aside and open the road. And those steel plates cover the trench and equipment is moved so the road is open during non-work times.

The $3 million project involves replacing the 8-inch cast iron water main along the entire road with a 12-inch cement-lined ductile iron pipe, which will improve water flow, if not water pressure. It's part of the city's goal to replace about one percent of water main each year; the road may be resurfaced in 2013.

Full details and weekly updates are at santabarbaraca.gov/engineering at "Major Construction and Design Maps" by clicking the little yellow hardhat at Skofield Park. If you have concerns or questions, the on-duty project engineer can be called at 729-3442. During non-work hours, the emergency number to call is 963-4286.

(posted 8/2012)