VALPARAISO, Ind. — The City of Valparaiso says it has broken ground on the Weston Street Stormwater Project, a sewer-separation job along Lincolnway and Weston Street. The city’s press release, posted Sept. 30, 2026, puts the total at $2,371,858. The Times of Northwest Indiana reported Oct. 1 that construction work has begun.
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total | $2,371,858 | City of Valparaiso, Sept. 30 release |
| New storm sewer | About 1,200 feet, plus water-main replacement | City release; The Times, Oct. 1 |
| Federal STAG grant (EPA) | $958,752 | City release; The Times |
| Drinking Water State Revolving Fund | $356,559 for water-main replacement | City release; The Times |
| This fall | Work along Lincolnway; construction has begun | City release; The Times, Oct. 1 |
| Next spring | Weston Street, north to Chicago and Weston | City release; The Times |
| Builder / designer | Grimmer Construction; design by DLZ | City release; The Times |
The city says the work is meant to cut flooding risk, protect homes and businesses, and keep separating storm sewers from sanitary sewers. That separation push is described as a two-decade effort against sewer backups, street flooding, and combined sewer overflows. Earlier separation work ran along Valparaiso Street and Union Street. The city also cites major projects in the Jessee-Pifer neighborhood finished in 2012 and 2013, and a culvert replacement under the railroad tracks in 2018 that let more areas send stormwater through that corridor.
Mayor Jon Costas thanked U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan for help securing the federal money. “Projects like this remind us that strong communities are built through partnership,” Costas said in the city release. He also said the city is “committed to responsible stewardship and not passing deferred maintenance on to future generations.”
Mrvan was at the groundbreaking with city officials, project partners, and community representatives, the city said. “Thank you to Mayor Costas and all of the leaders of the City of Valparaiso for this successful initiative to secure vital federal funds to upgrade our sewer infrastructure,” Mrvan said in the release. The Times printed that same remark in its Oct. 1 story.
City Administrator Steve Poulos told people at the groundbreaking that storms in August forced the city to reschedule the event. “Storms like that one truly highlight the value of our infrastructure, our backup systems and our future planning,” Poulos said, according to the city release. The release does not give a storm date or a damage total. The Times reported the groundbreaking was originally set for August and delayed by the Aug. 11 storm.
The water-main piece is tied to Valparaiso City Utilities’ work on aging pipes, the city said. Milestones listed in the release: an EPA grant award notice in 2024, environmental approval in 2025, engineering design finished in spring 2026, and the construction contract awarded to Grimmer Construction in June. DLZ designed the project. Grimmer is building it.
The city release says construction will begin the week of that Sept. 30 post, with Lincolnway work planned for the fall. The Times, a day later, said construction work has begun and that Lincolnway work is planned for the fall. Both say Weston Street construction continues next spring and that the job is expected to run north to the intersection of Chicago and Weston.
The city thanked residents and businesses near the work for patience during construction. It also named the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mrvan’s office, DLZ, Grimmer Construction, and city staff as partners. WIMS in Michigan City posted the city release on Oct. 3 under a “Press Release by City of Valparaiso” label. It does not add figures beyond that release.
The release does not say what share of the $2,371,858 is local cash after the $958,752 EPA grant and the $356,559 revolving-fund amount. It also does not list lane closures or a day-by-day detour. Check the city’s Weston Street release and local traffic notices before you drive Lincolnway or Weston Street.
Photo credit
¹ The Times of Northwest Indiana — public officials and contractors at the Weston Street sewer groundbreaking in Valparaiso. ² City of Valparaiso / Facebook, via WIMS — wider group at the same Weston Street stormwater groundbreaking.