Pueblo sewer line repair closes Dillon Drive in front of Walmart

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) --Navigating traffic outside this busy north side Walmart will be challenging for the next three weeks as crews repair a sewer line in front of the store.

The tricky part is that the project will be on Dillon Drive -- between the two entrances for the store -- and that segment will be closed to through traffic.

However, Andrew Hayes, the city's public works director, says that customers will still have access to Walmart and other businesses in the area during the project; he adds that except for a bus stop in the closed area, all city bus stops will remain open.

The affected sewer line is 30 feet underground, which requires time to keep workers safe while they dig for it; it also must be raised higher to be more compatible with current development.

After the sewer project ends, crews will repave Dillon from just south of the Walmart (Carruth Court) to Eagleridge Boulevard.

Hayes asks that drivers take Eagleridge, or Exit 102 on Interstate 25, to reach the Walmart and adjacent businesses.

Lana Christopher, who is homeless and gets around in a wheelchair, said that she was surprised that the segment of Dillon -- and its sidewalks -- closed Monday.

"We said Why is it closed, because we wanted to come up this way," she explained. "And they told us Well, you can come today, but this is the only time. It'll be closed for three weeks."

Christopher said that she's glad the project is happening.

"When I was growing up, my family had a septic tank and there were always problems with it," she recalled. "A modern treatment system is much better."

Christopher and her niece -- who's also homeless -- left with their pets and belongings, trying to navigate the project area just as other pedestrians and drivers are.