College Avenue Water Main Work to Begin September 16

Fort Collins will start the next phase of its College Avenue Water System Improvement Project on Monday, requiring partial lane closures along the busy downtown corridor as crews work to locate underground utilities.

The work, known as "potholing," will take place between Mulberry Street and Laporte Avenue from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. City officials expect this phase to wrap up the week of Sept. 29, weather permitting.

The utility location work supports the design of a major water infrastructure replacement project aimed at upgrading some of Fort Collins' oldest water mains. The water mains along College Avenue between Mulberry Street and Laporte Avenue are among the oldest in Fort Collins, with portions originally installed in the early to mid-20th century, according to a Fort Collins City Council agenda document.

Fort Collins maintains approximately 550 miles of treated water mains, and many downtown sections use cast iron pipe installed between the 1920s and 1950s, the city document shows. These older pipes are susceptible to corrosion and leaks with age.

Why the Replacement Matters

The aging infrastructure has struggled to meet current fire safety standards and water quality requirements. Fort Collins requires minimum fire flow of 2,500 gallons per minute or more for commercial and downtown corridors, based on city design standards noted in Fort Collins budget documents.

Current College Avenue infrastructure struggles to meet these standards consistently due to the aging cast iron mains, which have reduced capacity and may not reliably deliver required fire flow during emergencies.

"The replacement of ageing water mains will enhance system reliability, improve fire flow capacity, and protect water quality," Beck Anderson, utilities project manager, said in the city's announcement.

Project Planning Process

Fort Collins Utilities uses a data-driven approach to prioritize water infrastructure replacement. The city considers factors including the age and material of water mains, break history, risk assessment for public health and safety, and location criticality for areas like downtown and major streets.

Major water main replacement projects in Fort Collins typically follow a structured timeline that includes design work lasting four to nine months, followed by utility location work like the current potholing phase, then actual construction and final street restoration.

The College Avenue corridor has consistently ranked as a high priority due to its age, downtown location, and history of maintenance issues.

Drivers should expect some delays along College Avenue during the work hours. The city will provide project updates through its email list and website.

For project updates, visit fcgov.com/collegewater. For information about other Fort Collins construction projects, visit fcgov.com/construction.