New Water Project Will Benefit Short Pump & Goochland Residents

The Henrico County Department of Public Utilities is about to take on a new water project along Three Chopt Road that will be a win-win situation for residents of both Short Pump and Goochland County. But while the project will benefit Short Pump residents, Henrico taxpayers won’t be spending a dime on its construction. The […]

September 22, 2009; 6:19 PM • by Mike Friedman

The project, which will pump more than 12 million gallons of water per day to Goochland residents, is being funded entirely by Goochland County. It’s the final phase of an agreement between the two municipalities that was made in 2002. Goochland already draws water from several sources in Henrico County.

The project will take place on Three Chopt Road between Gaskins Road and the entrance to the Barrington subdivision at Thamesford Way. Clearing for the project will begin on September 28 and road construction is expected to start around October 12.

A side benefit for Far West End residents will be increased water pressure to the northern Short Pump area including the Wyndham and Twin Hickory communities, both of which are currently facing lower than desired water pressures.

The contractor will be installing pipe 3-1/2 feet below ground level and crews will bore underneath Gaskins Road and Three Chopt in several locations. No blasting is expected, but Bill Mawyer, Henrico County Assistant Director of Public Utilities, says that if any is required around rocky areas, residents in surrounding neighborhoods would be contacted by the Fire Marshall. Home inspections would also be provided after any blasting.

Construction work will take place between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. There may be some construction on Saturdays, but Mawyer noted there will be no overnight or Sunday work.

During construction hours, traffic will likely be down to one lane, affecting mostly the westbound lane of Three Chopt Road. The construction area on any given day would likely not be longer than 300 feet long. Residents will maintain access to their neighborhoods at all times throughout the duration of the project.

Temporary patchwork will be put into place at the end of each construction day and the entire road will be resurfaced upon completion of the project.

The contractor, R.R. Snipes Construction, has 300 days to complete the project from the start date, according to County officials.

This is not the last project along this section of Three Chopt Road slated for the near future. Widening of the road from Gaskins Road to Thamesford Way, from two to four lanes, is expected to start in 2013, pending federal funding approval.

A map of the project can be seen below.