If you made a springtime stroll to Byrd Park this weekend, you may notice a lot more signs + construction crews than usual.

Phase I of the Byrd Park Tank Rehabilitation Project has begun. The Dept. of Public Utilities is upgrading Byrd Park Reservoir’s two water tanks and its distribution system.

Fun fact: The reservoir was built in 1876, two years after the construction of Chimborazo Park.

What does this mean for parkgoers?

The park will remain open for visitors throughout the project, with little to no pedestrian traffic impacts. Pipe construction + replacement work will take place behind a fence.

Drivers can expect off-and-on closures + some parking restrictions on the roads surrounding the water storage tank — Grant Street, Stroller’s Lane, Police Memorial Way and Blanton Avenue. DPU will post closures publicly before they’re put in place.

Potentially impacted roads are highlighted in yellow. | Screenshot via rva.gov

The full project is expected to take about four years. Work will be done on weekdays, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., which will focus on upgrading the water distribution system. Current water service will not be impacted.

Phase I includes some tree removal, which was approved by the Dept. of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities. Park reconstruction efforts will replace those arbors upon the project’s completion date.

Phase II will replace the concrete roofs of Byrd Park Tank with aluminum ones. This phase will begin in concurrence with Phase I later this month.

Keep up with what DPU is working on here.