Motorists who drive Old Lemay Ferry Road in the Imperial area should expect some delays beginning on Monday (Feb. 8).
A portion of Old Lemay Ferry Road will be limited to one-way traffic for the next several months while crews from Spire install a natural gas line in the area.
Spire will have automated traffic signals along the stretch allowing traffic to go one way for a set period of time and then switching to allow vehicles headed in the opposite direction to pass.
“It should begin Monday, assuming the weather is good,” said Jefferson County Public Works Director Jason Jonas.
Jonas said the county is not doing the work, but Spire had to apply for permits to close or partially close the county-maintained road.
A Spire spokesperson said the work in Jefferson County is part of a nearly $1 billion initiative to improve infrastructure and customer connection systems.
In northern Jefferson County, the company will install 7,600 feet of 6-inch plastic intermediate pressure main along Old Lemay Ferry between Pine Haven Lane and Regency Woods.
The road closures, which are scheduled to last through July 31, will be done in four phases.
In the first phase, the section of Old Lemay Ferry south of from just north of Windsor Crossing Court and Pine Haven to several yards south of that intersection will be restricted to one lane. That section will be the southernmost portion to be closed.
After work in that section is finished, the work will shift to the northernmost section, from near Regency Woods Place to several hundred yards south.
The third phase will involve a partial closure from that point to just south of the intersection of Old Lemay Ferry with East Four Ridge Road and Frisco Hill Road.
“That one will be the trickiest, because it will also involve traffic from those two roads and additional traffic signals,” Jonas said.
The final phase takes in the area from the third phase to just north of the East Dry Fork Road-Kneff Road intersection.
The restrictions will be in place during regular business hours on weekdays, but Old Lemay Ferry will be open to two-way traffic on evenings and weekends.
“Unfortunately, this will be an inconvenience to people who drive in the area, and also school buses and emergency vehicles,” Jonas said. “The hope is that people will find alternate routes to avoid the affected area of Old Lemay Ferry Road when possible.”
The Spire spokesperson said there will be no disruption to customers’ natural gas service during the work.
According to Spire, it spent $311 million in 2020 to replace 318 miles of aging infrastructure, reducing leaks.