Big
Bear Blvd
At KNICKERBOCKER Road


One
street east of the Village of Big Bear Lake at Knickerbocker Road and Big
Bear Boulevard, Big Bear Lake Department
of Water closed-off the area to begin the installation of new pipeline, Monday
June 17th through Tuesday June 18th. The work area is near the First Foundation
Bank location, between Big Bear Boulevard and Stone Road.
The
City of Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power is replacing the water
mainline. Intermittent road closures in either direction may last through June
21, as customers are connected to the new water line and the affected roadway
is repaved and sealed.
The
Knickerbocker Road Project is set to start after school closes for Summer and
will be complete in advance of the July Independence Day holiday weekend. Businesses will be accessible from Big Bear
Boulevard and residents in the affected area will be allowed entry and
exit.
The
pipeline installation is part of a larger project to replace or install 14
segments of pipe in Big Bear Lake and Fawnskin. Work will continue in various residential
areas throughout Summer with Monterey Street in Moonridge next on the list.
Areas slated for work include where there are gaps in the system, pipelines
that are more than 50 years old, undersized and or steel. Old, undersized and
steel pipes are often the culprits of water loss through leaks. The pipeline
replacement project is generously funded through a combination of low-interest
loans and a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture – Rural
Development.
FUN FACT:
Knickerbocker Rd. is named after the acclaimed William “Bill” Knickerbocker.
Knickerbocker traveled to southern California from Pennsylvania arriving in the
valley in the early 1900’s. Initially living in the town of Doble near Baldwin
Lake, he staked two mining claims, was the Lake’s first dam keeper and was
known as the “Paul Bunyan” of Big Bear due to his skills with an axe. After starting
a family, he built the Knickerbocker Mansion by hand with trees he felled
himself. The mansion still stands today.
