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Community
Paved roads coming back to Patuxent Park soon
Water and sewer lines replaced during first phase of project
Friday, Dec. 18, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by REID SILVERMAN
Matt Molloy, left, and Greg Birner of Gradient Construction direct the positioning of a new storm drain Thursday, part of a $12 million revitalization project in the Patuxent Park neighborhood.
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It's a rough ride in part of the Patuxent Park neighborhood in Lexington Park. The road surface was removed this year so the decrepit water and sewer lines could be replaced.
The top layer of road on Midway Drive, Gambier Place, Princeton Drive and Bunker Hill Drive was scraped up, leaving a bumpy and patchy surface.
Tina Garrison, a resident of Patuxent Park, said the work has been disruptive and she has lost patience that the roads haven't been resurfaced.
"It's not fair to the people in there," she said. "We should not have to drive on potholes every day."
"When you go through a revitalization project I think a lot of people don't see what's occurred at the site," said Allen Settle, engineer with the St. Mary's County Department of Public Works and Transportation.
The water and sewer lines have been relined since the original road surface was removed by the St. Mary's County Metropolitan Commission's contractor. "All water and sewer lines have been installed," Settle said and are now being utilized.
This work is only the first phase of five to revitalize Patuxent Park, representing a total public investment of $12 million. The aging neighborhood, first built in 1947, was the second development to house workers of Patuxent River Naval Air Station and now provides affordable housing.
"Now we're getting ready to turn over to road construction and storm drain construction," Settle said. Work scheduled for the next two weeks includes installation of storm drain inlets and culverts along Midway Drive. Once that is done, the contractor will remove the existing curb and roadway section, one lane of roadway at a time, he said.
After that, the roads will get base paving as a temporary measure until it warms up enough in the spring to lay down the final paving. The base paving will be put down in the next three to four weeks, Settle said.
MetCom's contractor started work in July and worked every day as the weather permitted, said Steven Engleson, project manager for MetCom.
As of Dec. 4, the contractor installed 1,603 feet of 8-inch sewer pipe, 12 sewer manholes and 879 feet of 6-inch sewer service pipes that run to homes. In addition, 1,571 feet of 8-inch water pipe have been installed along with other lines.
The second phase of work is planned along Great Mills Lane and North Essex Drive and should start next summer, Settle said.
