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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2022
 River Road CSO Project launches May 16 - brings temporary closures and greener infrastructure
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (May 2, 2022) – Starting on May 16, 2022, River Road and its neighboring Parks and Recreation trail will be closed at Happy Hollow Road south to Dehart Street. This closure is part of the City of West Lafayette’s ongoing effort to improve its stormwater and wastewater collection system and prevent future pollution of the Wabash River.
This closure will last through Fall 2022 before construction moves southward, reopening North River Road at Happy Hollow Road and keeping the remainder of North River Road closed down to and including the intersection of Dehart Street until Fall 2023.
This construction is part of a three-phase project called River Road CSO. Currently, West Lafayette’s sewer system transports stormwater and wastewater through one system to the wastewater treatment plant. During normal rain events with 1⁄4-inch of rainfall or more, the combined system capacity can become overwhelmed, resulting in stormwater and wastewater overflowing into the Wabash River. This is referred to as a combined sewer overflow, or CSO.
In an effort to reduce CSO events and improve the health of the Wabash River, the City of West Lafayette began the first phase of River Road CSO in 2016. Since that phase’s completion, the area has seen a reduction from 150 overflows in a five-year period to less than five since 2017.
Once the project’s second phase is completed in Fall 2023, the area impacted by closures will see a similar reduction in CSO events. By Spring 2026, the third phase of River Road CSO will be underway, expanding and updating the West Lafayette Water Resource Recovery Facility in order to process a higher volume of stormwater and wastewater.
In all, River Road CSO will help the City of West Lafayette protect the Wabash while meeting standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Indiana Department of Environmental Management,
To learn more about River Road CSO, see closure plans, find detour routes, and stay up-to-date on the project’s progress, please visit RiverRoadCSO.com.
Contact: Emily Jones
Phone: 765-423-5470
Email: emilyj@dearing-group.com
 Jenifer Van Schuyver
Community Development and Communications Manager
jvanschuyver@westlafayette.in.gov
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