The residents of 26th Street evacuated from their homes more than a month ago when their street collapsed should be allowed to return as soon as Thursday; earlier than what officials had anticipated.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake made the announcement Sunday after meeting with the residents. Shortly after the collapse on April 30, residents were told it would be 40 days before they would be allowed back in to their homes.
The mayor said the move in date was moved up thanks to crews who worked round the clock to make repairs to the street.
“I made it very clear that vacations don’t exist, off days don’t exist and because of that we are ahead of schedule,” Rawlings-Blake said.
Baltimore Gas and Electric will start contacting residents Monday to schedule appointments to reconnect utility service while checking for damage to lines inside their homes.
“They’ve been working over the weekend, around the clock, to get the final gas mains installed,” said Transportation Director William Johnson. He said water and sewer lines have been restored.
Johnson said crews are shifting their focus from emergency repairs to a long-term, more permanent fix that is expected to take five to six months. No one will be allowed to park on 26th Street during that time.
The estimated cost of the project, $18.5 million, was noted at the Board of Estimates meeting last Wednesday. The amount was already approved by Finance Director Harry Black through an emergency declaration made at the time of the collapse.
CSX and the city remain in talks on how to split the cost for the reconstruction project and who is responsible. Another meeting between CSX and the city is expected next week.