Lane Opening – 3200 – 3400 blocks of Williamsburg Avenue

WHO:  City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (https://twitter.com/DPUStreetNews)  
 
WHAT: Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Project Completion and Traffic Pattern Update

WHEN:  

Monday, September 29 through Friday, October 3, 2025, from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.

Monday, October 6 through Friday, October 10, 2025, from 7:00 a.m. until 5 p.m.

October 13 through December 31, 2025, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.

Weekends will not have flaggers, and the impacted area will only have eastbound traffic.

WHERE: 3200 – 3400 blocks of Williamsburg Avenue

PROJECT SCOPE:  Sewer Improvements

PROJECT IMPACTS: Starting Monday, September 29, crews will open one lane of flagger assisted westbound traffic at the 3200 – 3400 blocks of Williamsburg Avenue. This lane opening will be in effect from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Monday through Friday through December 2025.  Outside of these hours the traffic pattern will revert to eastbound only traffic for this stretch of Williamsburg Avenue between Stony Run Road and S. 31st Street.

PROJECT BACKGROUND: The CSO Outfall 004 Improvement Project on Williamsburg Avenue, part of Richmond's Combined Sewer Overflow Interim Plan, involves installing a larger pipe, manholes, a relocated outfall into Gillies Creek, and control structures to better manage flow. Once complete, it is expected to prevent about 48 overflow events and 5.1 million gallons of overflow annually. The project is fully funded by a $100 million ARPA grant.

Construction milestones include near completion of the CSO regulator structure and successful construction of the large diameter pipe tunneling in Williamsburg Road and under the railroad crossing. Due to unexpected underground conditions, the completion date has shifted from January 2025 to December 2025, though the project remains on budget.

For these and other utility related updates follow us on Twitter @DPUStreetNews. 

For the most current and up to date information regarding emergency repairs, maintenance and road closures in your area, the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities encourages you to download CivicReady. Stay updated, stay informed, stay ready. 

The red arrow on the map above shows the segment of Williamsburg Avenue that is opening for the specified dates and times.

Some customers occasionally notice an unpleasant “rotten egg” odor coming from their tap water. While the smell can be concerning, the water remains safe to use. The odor can have several different causes, both inside and outside the home’s plumbing system. To help customers understand this issue and learn about possible solutions, we are sharing the American Water Works Association’s article “Common Customer Complaint: ‘My Hot Water Stinks’” by David J. Hack, originally published in Opflow (June 2000).

Common Customer Complaint: My Hot Water Stinks

This project will replace older cast iron water pipes with new and improved ductile iron water mains. These upgrades will improve water quality, increase fire flow availability, improve overall reliability, and establish additional redundancy throughout the system via additional looped connections. 

Westmoreland Place Water Main Renewal Project Newsletter - Volume 1

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is replacing deteriorated sewer service laterals along Forest Hill Avenue between Hathaway Road and Joe Brooks Boulevard. This utility work is a continuation of the sewer replacement project that was completed in the eastbound lanes of Forest Hill Avenue in 2024. The work zone will extend from Windsorview Drive to Shelia Lane along Forest Hill Avenue. 

Forest Hill Avenue Sanitary Sewer Lateral Replacement Work Project Newsletter- Volume 1

Richmond, Va-The City of Richmond held a virtual public meeting on August 19 at 6:00 p.m. to provide additional details and answer questions regarding upcoming utility projects in the Forest Hill Avenue area. These projects are continual work to replace failing infrastructure and improve system reliability, including aging water lines and deteriorated sewer laterals. 

Water line replacement

Location: Hathaway Road from Riverside Drive/Longview Drive to the 2900 block of Hathaway Road

Anticipated start date: August 25, with a duration of six months

Longview Drive Water Main Replacement Project Newsletter 

Sewer lateral replacement 

Location: 6900-7000 blocks of Forest Hill Avenue westbound lanes

Anticipated start date: September 2, with a duration of two months

Forest Hill Sanitary Sewer Replacement Project Newsletter

During the meeting, residents and business owners had the opportunity to hear from DPU project managers to learn more about the project scopes and review project plans and traffic impacts. 

Virtual Meeting Materials - August 19, 2025

Public Meeting presentation

Public Meeting recording