Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2009

Ready to rumble? Big trucks will be rolling through Edwardsville soon

EDWARDSVILLE -- Residents of Liberty Street soon will see the pieces of an oil pipeline rumbling down their small road.

The city has reached an agreement with TransCanada Keystone Pipeline to carry construction materials down Liberty Street.

The pipeline, which runs from Canada to Patoka, Ill., requires 60,000-pound trucks to haul materials to the construction site, and this is the only route that would not require the refinery to build a new access road, according to city leaders.

Liberty Street does not have an official weight limit, but it is an older street with three culverts underneath it, and city leaders had been concerned that the weight of the trucks might collapse the road.

TransCanada had offered a $10,000 advance payment on any damage. The city negotiated $200,000 in advance instead, with other requirements:

* TransCanada must place weight-distributing steel plates over the culverts to protect them from collapse.

* Trucks must go no faster than 5 mph while on Liberty Street and only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

* If the road becomes impassable because of damage, TransCanada must repair it immediately so residents will not be inconvenienced.

Liberty Street has about nine houses and a 12-unit apartment building.

The road needs repairs already, according to Alderwoman Barb Jurgena-Stamer. The $200,000 will allow the city to rebuild the road after TransCanada is finished, giving it curbs and gutters that have been worn down over the years.

Jurgena-Stamer said the city will inform residents of the details before work begins. She said she has spoken to some of the residents and they understand the issues at hand.

"They told me if at the end of the day they get a new street, the trucks are more than welcome," Jurgena-Stamer said.

No residents spoke at the meeting Tuesday where the council approved the agreement. Public Works Director Tim Harr said the $200,000 would be sufficient to rebuild the road.

The trucks will run for about six weeks in late July and August, Jurgena-Stamer said.