Castell Avenue 24-inch Water Line Project to Run May 2021 through December 2022

Crews will replace and upgrade aging and undersized infrastructure on the East and West sides of New Braunfels.

New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) began major construction on the Castell Avenue 24-inch Water Line Project this month, May 2021, with an anticipated completion date in December 2022.

The Castell Avenue 24-inch Water Line Project will provide an additional 24-inch transmission main needed to send water from downtown New Braunfels to the County Line ground storage tank and surrounding areas and replace aging water and sewer lines. The Project was separated into two bid packages with two different contractors performing the work. The portion of the Project that extends from San Antonio Street and Castell Avenue to the intersection of Torrey and Elizabeth Avenue is called “Castell Ave 24-inch Water Line WEST.” It will begin this month, May 2021. The portion of the Project that extends from San Antonio Street and Castell Avenue down to the I-35 frontage road is called “Castell Avenue 24-inch Water Line EAST” and will begin in June 2021. The EAST and WEST Projects will install more than 10,000 linear feet (LF) of 24-inch water main, 5,200 LF of 12-inch water main, and 6,600 LF of eight-inch and 16-inch sewer lines.

The 24-inch transmission main is needed to send water from downtown New Braunfels to the County Line ground storage tank and surrounding areas to support current and future growth. This additional transmission capacity will enable more efficient operation of the County Line Pump Station that feeds the Morningside Pressure Zone.  The water line along Castell Avenue, between San Antonio Street and Nacogdoches, also has frequent water main breaks and has reached the end of its service life based on age, condition, and material. This Project will increase reliability to NBU customers and decrease NBU maintenance costs for repairing main breaks and leaks. The majority of the pipeline included in this Project will be installed by an open-cut or open-trench method. There are a few locations where the installation method will be trenchless: at San Antonio Street, all Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) crossings, all Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) crossings, and all water crossings at the Comal River and Comal Creek.

One of NBU’s Project goals is to minimize disruption to businesses downtown. Construction along Castell Avenue, from Bridge to Elm Street, will therefore have two-way traffic open. No weekend work will be allowed in the downtown areas, and sidewalks will remain available for pedestrian traffic to the greatest extent possible. From San Antonio Street to Coll Street, the utility installation will only occur at night, from 1:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Service connections from the water and sewer mains to each business will be completed between Monday and Thursday, 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., to minimize impacts of service outages.

On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, the bore pits and 42-inch Steel Casing installation will begin at the intersection of San Antonio Street and Castell Avenue. Daily road closures are expected to occur. Spiess Construction Company, Incorporated, will perform this work.

The Castell Avenue 24-inch Water Line EAST and WEST Projects are part of NBU’s more than 122 capital improvement projects for fiscal years 2021 through 2025. New Braunfels Utilities has budgeted $14.7 million to upgrade the existing water and sewer infrastructure to ensure regulatory compliance, provide essential services to our community, and serve future growth.

New Braunfels Utilities will provide updates on this Project’s progress on its social media channels and nbutexas.com.

All work is expected to be completed as scheduled, weather permitting.

Contact Desirae Medellin at 830.608.8971 or dmedellin@nbutexas.com for any questions regarding the Project.  

Scheduled Traffic Impacts

Schedules are subject to change.

West

Torrey Road to San Antonio Street (April 2021 to June 2022)

Construction along Castell Avenue from Bridge Street to San Antonio Street will have two-way traffic open. No weekend work will be allowed in the downtown areas and sidewalks are to remain open, to the extent possible, for pedestrian traffic. Service connections from the water and wastewater lines to each individual business will be completed between Monday and Thursday, 2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. to minimize impacts of service outages.

• Castell Avenue to San Antonio Street 5.13.2021 to 5.28.2021, no direct access to San Antonio Street

• Castell Avenue (Zink Road to San Antonio Street) 5.17.2021 to 6.4.2021, two way traffic, no street parking

• Castell Avenue (from Bridge Street to Mill Street) 6.7.2021 to 6.16.2021, two way traffic, no street parking

• Castell Avenue (from Mill Street to San Antonio Street)  6.17.2021 to 7.6.2021, two way traffic, no street parking

• Elizabeth Avenue (Torrey Street to Hinman Island) TBD, but will be done between October to December, the road will be closed to thru traffic

• Market Street 8.25.2021 to 10.1.2021, closed to thru traffic

• Zink Street 8.25.2021 to 10.1.2021, one lane open

East

San Antonio Street to I-35 Frontage (May 2021 to November 2022)

• Construction schedule to be submitted

• Castell Avenue from San Antonio Street to Elm Street will have two-way traffic open

• Downtown areas and sidewalks are to remain open, to the extent possible, for pedestrian traffic

• San Antonio Street to Coll Street, utility installation to occur during the night from 1:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Project Map

Detour Map