Plainview Trunk Sewer Project

FAYETTE COUNTY, KY

Palmer Engineering provided comprehensive professional engineering and construction administration services for the project. The scope included the design and construction of approximately 830 linear feet of new gravity sanitary sewer consisting of 12-inch and 8-inch diameter PVC and ductile iron pipe, along with eight new precast concrete manholes. The alignment traversed rear yards of existing residential properties and included a critical crossing beneath KY-4 (New Circle Road), one of Lexington’s major urban transportation corridors.

As lead design consultant, Palmer’s responsibilities included review and compilation of existing utility and record information, engineering design and plan development, hydraulic and structural analysis, geotechnical investigation coordination, utility coordination, permitting support, easement acquisition assistance, preparation of bid documents, and ongoing construction administration services. Palmer also continues to support the project through submittal reviews, responses to RFIs, contractor pay application reviews, and monthly construction progress meetings.

Construction began in summer 2025, and crews are now wrapping up punch list items and final stabilization activities.

WATER RESOURCES

Palmer Engineering served as a key member of the consultant team, in partnership with PRIME AE, for the West Hickman Sewershed Basin Program led by the Lexington Fayette County Urban Government. The program is part of the community’s response to chronic sanitary sewer overflows and supports the larger Remedial Measures Program mandated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Consent Decree.

One of the identified capacity improvement projects within the basin was the Plainview Trunk Sewer Replacement Phase 1 project in Lexington, KY. The project was designed to relieve surcharge conditions and reduce the risk of future sanitary sewer overflows in a heavily developed urban corridor.

Unique Aspects

Opportunities
- Capacity Improvements: Improve sanitary sewer capacity and reliability within the West Hickman Sewershed Basin
- Consent Decree Compliance: Support LFUCG’s long-term Consent Decree compliance efforts and reduce the risk of sanitary sewer overflows
- Infrastructure Modernization: Replace aging infrastructure with modern sewer materials and systems designed for long-term serviceability
- Urban Coordination: Coordinate infrastructure improvements in a densely developed urban environment while minimizing impacts to residents and traffic operations
Challenges
- Residential Impacts: Design and construct sewer improvements through rear yards of existing residential properties while minimizing disruption to homeowners
- Utility Conflicts: Navigate a dense network of underground utilities within a constrained urban corridor
- Major Road Crossing: Develop a feasible crossing beneath KY-4 (New Circle Road), a heavily traveled state-maintained roadway
- Existing Conditions: Address the previously unsustainable condition where the existing sewer line was routed through an active stormwater culvert
Successes
- Innovative Crossing Solution: Successfully developed and implemented an aerial sewer crossing solution over a concrete-lined stormwater channel after evaluating multiple alternatives for the KY-4 crossing
- System Reliability: Improved system capacity and reduced surcharge conditions within the basin to support long-term environmental protection goals
- Stakeholder Coordination: Maintained coordination with LFUCG, KYTC District 7, utility owners, contractors, and affected property owners throughout design and construction
- Project Delivery: Delivered comprehensive engineering and construction administration services that supported efficient project execution and ongoing progress toward project completion