The South Seminary Street approach to eastbound East South Street has been closed to traffic for just more than a month, leaving questions as to when the stretch of road will reopen.
Several followers of our Facebook page have asked: So has there been any news about what they plan on doing with the South Street underpass lane off Seminary Street?
WGIL turned to Michael Doi, director of Public Works for the City of Galesburg, who provided the following answers to our and your questions:
Q: When and how did the damage occur?
Doi: On July 10, 2024, a break occurred in a 10-inch water main on South Seminary, just north of East South Street. The pressure and quantity of water in the main caused the pavement to buckle.
Q: Have there been issues with that area previously?
Doi: Water main breaks are not uncommon in a water distribution system and there was no indication of a potential break or an excessive number of breaks in that section of water main.
Q: What work has to be done, and what is the timeline for it to reopen?
Doi: Significant pavement reconstruction is needed due to undermining of the pavement from the water break. This section of South Seminary Street, which allows for access to eastbound East South Street has a low traffic volume. Traffic from South Seminary Street onto westbound East South Street is unimpeded, and eastbound and westbound traffic on East South Street is also unimpeded. The city is also working with BNSF on a potential grant which may include this portion of South Seminary Street.
Due to these factors coupled with the unbudgeted cost of the repairs, a repair date has not been determined at this time.
Do you have a followup to this topic, or do you have another question about something happening around Galesburg? Email Jay Redfern at jayr@wgil.com.
