Henrico's $304M water fix begins with turnpike widening project

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A road-widening project on the Richmond Henrico Turnpike will serve as the unofficial start of a $304 million water infrastructure project aimed at preventing a repeat of the crises that left thousands without water in recent years.

The turnpike project will expand the road from 2 to 4 lanes and include a 16-foot raised median, a sidewalk along the west side, and a lighted shared-use path along the east side. As part of that work, Henrico County will install over a mile of a 13-mile water transmission main pipeline. Trees are already being cleared to make way for both projects.

Henrico Director of Public Utilities Bentley Chan provided an update on the water project during Tuesday's Henrico Board of Supervisors meeting.

"We are expecting 50% design to be completed this month. Those plans will be delivered to us to start reviewing," Chan said. "Public utilities is partnering public works on a project that they have going in Richmond Henrico Turnpike, that road expansion. And so, in that road expansion, we will install over a mile of the 13 miles of pipeline."

The water transmission main is designed to connect Henrico's water plant in western Henrico to eastern Henrico, reducing the county's dependence on the City of Richmond's water supply.

"This is a means to bring water from our water plant in western Henrico all the way to eastern Henrico to serve everyone who is normally served by the City of Richmond," Chan said. "And so this mechanism, this infrastructure, not only helps us serve ourselves in an emergency, but it also helps us serve our neighbors in the city if there is ever any situation."

The project comes after Richmond's water crisis left thousands between the city and Henrico County without water following an electrical failure at the city's water treatment plant. Barely 3 months after that, a critical water main break in downtown Richmond cut off water to some in eastern Henrico for a second time.

Watch: Richmond sinkhole threatens Henrico’s water supply

Carmelita Richardson, who lives near the turnpike, recalled the impact of those events.

"Having to get bottled water or boil water. It was a mess it was," Richardson said.

Richardson said she welcomes both projects.

"It's narrow, but widening it would make a lot of sense, it would make things a lot easier," Richardson said. "I guess it would make it flow better."

According to a presentation shown to supervisors Tuesday, a portion of the water transmission main was designed at the same time as the widening project and will connect two major stretches of the transmission main still up for contract. The county says completing the projects together is intended to reduce inconvenience and construction costs.

"It's very expensive, but we understand that this is a must do — for everyone's peace of mind, safety, and health — that we have this redundant and reliable source of water that serves the entirety of the county," Chan said.

Richardson said the cost is worth it.

"I think it's just a small price to pay for something that's even bigger and better, so I don't see a problem with it. It's definitely something that's going to help everybody," Richardson said.

The four-lane widening project on the Richmond Henrico Turnpike is set to be complete in 2028 — the same year work will officially begin on the remaining 12 miles of the East End Water Transmission Main project, which is expected to be complete by 2031.

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