A massive water works project for the Winter Park area is being planned by Denver Water.

The project will replace portions of the Vasquez Canal near Winter Park. The Vasquez Canal was originally installed in 1939 and is nearing the end of its useful life. Construction crews will replace portions of the concrete lined canal, approximately 1,977 feet, with a 114-inch diameter reinforced concrete pipe that will be buried in the ground.

Denver Water hopes the project will increase system reliability, reduce seepage and cut down on maintenance costs. The project will impact both Grand County Road 7 and the Vasquez Canal Road, which are both likely to see large amounts of heavy construction equipment traffic over the coming weeks and months. Literature from Denver Water urges local motorists to, “use caution and follow construction signage.”

According to Denver Water Media Coordinator Travis Thompson the project is expected to cost roughly $750,000 annually, depending on how many feet of pipe are installed. “Eventually, the entire canal will be upgraded to buried pipe,” Thompson stated. “But the project will take several years, as crews have more than 20,000 feet to replace.”