Question: Why is there a strip of new asphalt down the center of the right-hand southbound lane of North Main Street?

—L.S., Suffolk

Answer: The strip of new asphalt seals a trench dug to replace an old cement sewer force main that was “experiencing some failures,” said Al Moor, the city’s public utilities director.

The replacement job stretched from a Hampton Roads Sanitation District force main near Walmart to Pump Station 13 by Sadler Pond — or  “clear on out past the major intersection of Route 460 and Route 10,” as Moor put it.

According to bid documents, the initial project included “piping, pavement restoration, and other improvements complete and in-place.”

The bid was awarded to Chesapeake’s Inner-View Ltd. after the apparent low bidder, Basic Construction Company LLC, withdrew. Inner-View, which was not the next-lowest bidder, bid $578,550.

The connection to the HRSD main was being completed last week, and this coming week will see work finishing up around Pump Station 13, Moor said.

“All the rest of the main is in the ground,” he said.

Moor said his utilities division is coordinating with the Department of Public Works to fix the trench scar down Main Street as a resurfacing project when paving season begins.

It should be done by mid-October, he said, with the Department of Public Utilities paying for that portion it disturbed.

“You Asked” is a new feature in the Suffolk News-Herald, and we want you to submit ideas for it. Ask a question about something you’ve always wanted to know, and we will track down the answer. Submit your ideas to news@suffolknewsherald.com with “You Asked” in the subject line.