Water outage planned near Poplar Avenue due to water line relocation

A portion of a water line along Poplar Ave. in Corbin must be replaced, and the residences it serves may see a temporary interruption of services while the work is completed.

At a special called meeting of the Corbin Board of Education Monday night, officials explained the work, which involves burying the line at a deeper level where it crosses a portion of the old Corbin Middle School property. This is necessary because site work bring the line closer to the surface.

Work is underway on renovations to the school and construction of a connector for foot traffic between the main building and the neighboring gymnasium.

Once completed, the building, which most recently housed the middle school, will house the fourth and fifth grade classes.

Officials said the work will begin this week with construction crews laying new pipe next to the old line.

Once the new section is in place, the old pipe will be cut and angled pipe will be installed to reattach the line.

Construction officials said the actual water outage would be approximately eight to 12 hours in length.

When board members asked why the residents could not be tied into another nearby line, construction officials explained the line doesn’t end at the end of Poplar Ave, but continues further south to feed additional residences.

Superintendent Dave Cox noted that Corbin City Utilities Director Ron Herd had been consulted about the situation.

Because the new line is required as a result of the school system’s building project, Cox explained that the school system would be required to fund the $22,000 project.

The board members unanimously approved the change order authorizing the construction company to move forward with the work.

The renovations to the old middle school building, which was originally served as Corbin High School, are scheduled to be completed in time for the start of the 2019-20 school year.

Once completed, fourth and fifth grades will move from the elementary and intermediate school buildings into the renovated building.

A second ongoing project is constructing a new wing of classrooms at Corbin Primary School, which will house permit the third grade classes to also move from the elementary building.

Cox said previously that would permit the school system to close the elementary and intermediate schools.