FOR RELEASE: First Street Wastewater Interceptor Project Begins

City of Loveland, Colorado

MEDIA RELEASE

CONTACT: Tracey Hewson, Public Information Officer

970-962-3710
Tracey.Hewson@cityofloveland.org

First Street Wastewater Interceptor Project Begins

LOVELAND, Colo - December 9, 2025 - A major wastewater project is set to begin in later this month to support Loveland’s rapidly growing east side, where new neighborhoods, schools and businesses are continuing to take shape. Early work will focus on preparing the site, including establishing staging areas, installing erosion controls, removing select trees and conducting utility potholing and drilling. Equipment staging will take place outside the right-of-way south of the E. First Street and North Denver Avenue intersection, as well as at the northeast corner of Willow Bend Park. No lane closures will impact traffic during this stage of work.

To meet the community’s long-term needs, the city is expanding its wastewater system to increase capacity and improve reliability. Garney Construction will install a new 36-inch wastewater interceptor from Denver Avenue east to Willow Bend Park. The larger line will provide additional capacity within the basin and enhance the system’s ability to handle future growth. This work marks the second phase of a planned collection system upgrade that runs from the East Side Lift Station downstream to the Wastewater Reclamation Facility.

A wastewater interceptor is a large underground pipe that carries wastewater to a treatment plant. Acting like a main highway for the sewer system, it collects flow from smaller neighborhood pipes and moves it efficiently down the line. The new line will span about 1,500 feet.

Construction will move from downstream to upstream, with excavation reaching depths of up to 19 feet. The new line will run parallel to the existing line, boosting both capacity and stability.

Work at the Farmer’s Ditch crossing will begin in mid-January and will continue into February, when the ditch is inactive. At the intersection of First Street and Denver Avenue, deep excavation will require a full closure of First Street from Denver Avenue to Sculptor Drive for about four weeks. Eastbound First Street is scheduled to open in February, while westbound First Street is scheduled to remain closed through May 2026. Detours will be available via U.S. Highway 34 or Mountain Lion Avenue.

The project remains on schedule and under budget.

For more information, please visit https://www.letstalkloveland.org.