Portion of East Orange Street closed as crews replace 100-year-old sewer line

Motorists may want to avoid East Orange Street between Lake Avenue and Ingraham Avenue for the next couple of days. That segment of the road is closed to through traffic today and Wednesday while crews work to replace a failing sewer line.

Lakeland Communications Director Kevin Cook said in a news release that detour signs and traffic control will direct drivers around the work zone.

“The current clay pipe that needs to be replaced is almost 100-years old,” Cook said in the release. “This older sewer service lateral has become cracked and has been infiltrated by tree roots, causing failure.”

The old line will be replaced with PVC pipe, which is resistant to roots and has a smooth surface that is less likely to fail or become blocked.

Aging infrastructure is an ongoing challenge for Lakeland, with many sewer lines within the city’s network degraded after decades of use. The city has made replacing them a priority for state and federal relief funds.