Maple Avenue Relief Sewer (MARS)

Maple Avenue Relief Sewer (MARS)

The purpose of the Maple Avenue Relief Sewer is to add additional capacity to the existing sewer system to address flooding in areas tributary to the Maple Avenue Sewer. The MARS project involves the construction of a relief sewer along Maple Avenue from Bluff Avenue to Peck Avenue. The sewer pipe will range from 60 inches in diameter at Bluff to 24 inches at Peck. The relief sewer will intercept drainage from the existing combination sewers, providing relief for the existing Cossitt Avenue sewer. At Bluff Avenue, the relief sewer will redirect dry weather sanitary flow to the sanitary outlet in East Avenue and divert wet weather storm flow to the deep tunnel outlet.

The drainage area that will directly benefit from the construction of this sewer is roughly 560 acres and extends from 47th Street to the BNSF railroad and from Bluff Avenue to Gilbert Avenue.  Once MARS is completed the wet weather drainage from approximately 240 acres south of Maple Avenue will be intercepted by the Maple Avenue Relief Sewer and will be redirected to go directly into the deep tunnel.

The Village was able to construct the first stage of MARS in 2009-10 as part of the Bluff Avenue Reconstruction Project.  The construction of the first stage of the MARS project involved connecting a sewer to the TARP or “Deep Tunnel” system at the corner of Cossitt and East Avenues.  The new sewer then extends to the intersection of Maple and Bluff Avenues where storm water from this area is redirected to the new MARS sewer segments.  The next stage of MARS, from roughly Bluff Avenue to 6th Avenue, was completed in 2014 in the approximate amount of $2.8 million.  This project was largely funded by MFT funds and general fund reserves.  Due to the significant cost of constructing future segments of MARS, MWRD restrictions on storm water access to the TARP system, other storm water projects, and limited Village resources, there is no budget allocation for future phases of this project at this time.  We will continue to identify and seek grants to fund future segments of MARS.

View a detailed presentation regarding the MARS project (PDF).

View a copy of the Preliminary Engineering Report. (PDF).