South Main Street loses a lane overnight for water main work

South Main Street in Wake Forest is down to one lane overnight through Friday, September 25, while a Raleigh Water contractor ties in a new water main. The closure covers the 1200 block of South Main Street, which is also US 1A, near the Liberty Street and Forestville Road intersection, from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night starting Sunday, September 20.

Flaggers will run the work zone with intermittent two-way traffic through the single open lane, according to the Town of Wake Forest’s notice. The town suggests drivers use another route if they can.

The tie-in is part of the Wake Forest Water Main Replacement and Repair Project, a $14.5 million program run by Raleigh Water that is replacing aging pipe in 17 areas of town. The project is scheduled to finish in winter 2027.

Why Raleigh Water runs the Wake Forest system

Raleigh owns the pipes. Wake Forest merged its water and sewer system with Raleigh’s in July 2005. Under that arrangement, the town’s water and sewer page says, the City of Raleigh took on sole responsibility for operating, maintaining, improving and expanding the system that serves Wake Forest.

What the $14.5 million project covers

The City of Raleigh’s project page puts the budget at $14.5 million and describes the goal as replacing aging materials to meet future capacity demand. The scope also includes gravity sewer, storm water pipe and a portion of the Allen roadway.

The project was bid on January 15, 2025, at $14,436,095, and construction started April 18, 2025, according to the listing on the ConstructConnect bid service. The listing describes this work:

• The job includes about 9,900 linear feet of new water main in 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-inch sizes.
• It calls for about 300 water service changeovers and about 300 new water meters and meter boxes.
• Crews will abandon about 19,050 linear feet of old water pipe in place and remove another 1,575 feet.
• The sewer work is about 3,750 linear feet of new 8-inch gravity sewer main with 18 manholes, plus 105 sewer lateral replacements.
• Storm drainage work is about 725 feet of pipe from 12 to 24 inches.
• Paving covers roughly 43,340 square yards of 2-inch milling and repaving, plus ADA curb ramp work and restoration of granite curbs in the historic district.

W.K. Dickson is the engineer. Park Construction of NC is the contractor.

Where crews worked this summer

In the week of June 29, crews installed new water and sewer lines on South Avenue between South Wingate Street and the South Main Street roundabout, with a signed detour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the night of July 30, they put in a water line at the Durham Road, South Wingate Street and South Avenue intersection, with a four-way flagging operation from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Who to call

For this week’s South Main Street work, the town’s notice lists Blake Bartholomew at Raleigh Water, blake.bartholomew@raleighnc.gov. For the project as a whole, Raleigh’s project page lists Senior Project Administrator Edward Stempien at 919-996-3490. General water and sewer questions go to Raleigh Water at 919-996-3245.