The construction work being done at the intersection of Historic Highway 66 and Elizabeth Street is connected to the bigger Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, officials said.
Gallup Water and Sanitation Director Dennis Romero said the work is directly related to Reach 27.6, saying the reach brings water from the Gamerco water storage tanks north of Gallup to the residences and businesses located on the east side of the city.
“The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will connect to an existing city water line at this location,” Romero said. “We need the transmission main and connection as soon as possible to the existing water system so that residents and businesses get an uninterrupted water supply.”
Romero noted that as part of the overall Navajo-Gallup Water Project, the work being done is contracted by the city of Gallup and paid for by the state of New Mexico and the federal government. The contractor, TLC Plumbing and Utility of Albuquerque, was awarded the work via a competitive bidding process, Romero said.
The cost of the reach 27.6 is $7.7 million. When done, the estimated $1 billion Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will bring water from the San Juan River and to the eastern parts of the Navajo Nation and Gallup, officials have said.
The work at Highway 66 and Elizabeth began in August 2016 and is scheduled to end in February 2018, Romero said.
William Ward, 40, of Indian Hills, the neighborhood where the work is being done, said the work really isn’t an inconvenience, considering it’s important for city water purposes.
“It might take some time for them to do the actual work, but I think it will be worth it in the long run,” Ward said. “At least it will make for a better water situation.”
By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent
