Main Street and East Jackson Boulevard in downtown Elkhart are closed as part of a federally mandated sewer project that city officials say is designed to keep raw sewage out of local rivers during heavy rain.
Elkhart City Councilman Aaron Mishler said the work is tied to the city’s long-running sewer separation project, which began after a 2012 agreement with the federal government. He said the goal is to prevent stormwater from overwhelming the sewer system during major rain events.
“When it rains heavily in Elkhart, it can overwhelm our storm system, which would cause raw sewage to go out into the rivers,” Mishler said.
The current phase of construction will connect a wastewater storage tank beneath the lot at Lexington Avenue and Waterfall Drive to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Mishler said that requires work along East Jackson, Main Street, Second Street, Third Street, Harrison Street and Oakland Avenue.
He said the Main Street and East Jackson closures are expected to last until about June, though the timeline could shift depending on weather and supply issues.
“It’s looking like until around June or so for East Jackson and Main Street,” Mishler said.
After that, closures are expected to move to the stretch between Second and Third streets until sometime in September. Mishler said work on Third Street is expected to continue for the rest of the construction season.
To help ease traffic during the downtown closures, the city converted parts of Second and Third streets to two-way traffic. Mishler said that change is also expected to improve access for fire and emergency crews.
He said the city is also dealing with aging infrastructure, including some pipes that are about a century old.
The city is maintaining an online map with current road closures and estimated completion dates.
