A major infrastructure project will soon get underway in Wilkie, with construction of new water and sewer mains along 1st Avenue scheduled to begin next week.
The work will take place between Main Street and 2nd Street, an area that currently has no underground mains. Town administrator Rebecca Parent said the project will give the town more flexibility for future development.
“We’re installing the mains which will give access to some of the vacant lots in there for possibility of future development,” she said. “Then there will be mains available to hook up to businesses.”
Construction is expected to take six to seven weeks, with crews mobilizing equipment in the coming days. During that time, 1st Avenue will be closed to through traffic.
“We are also detouring all traffic straight from the highway to use 2nd Avenue throughout town,” Parent said. “It’ll be busy along 2nd but we’re just closing the full length of 1st Ave to local traffic only.”
Parent noted the project was first raised by council last summer but wasn’t approved until this year’s budget process. She added that while there are no immediate developments tied to the new infrastructure, the town hopes the investment will support growth in the business district.
“There’s a building shell on one of those blocks which will now have access,” she said. “Other than that there’s no other developments but it is a hope for the future.”