GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — A $208 million multi-year repair is planned for the Transcanyon Waterline that supplies water for the local community and millions of visitors to Grand Canyon National Park.

National Park Service officials said the repairs and upgrades on the waterline within the inner canyon and the South Rim will ensure the park is able to meet water supply needs for at least the next 50 years and support 6 million annual visitors and some 2,500 year-round residents.

They said work planned for the coming months will focus on establishing construction infrastructure and staging areas in the Grand Canyon Village Area on the South Rim.

Park Service officials said the work should not cause any restrictions or closures this year that would impact visitors.

The project is expected to be completed in 2027.

Originally built in the 1960s, the 12.5-mile waterline provides the potable water for all facilities on the South Rim and inner canyon facilities within the park.

Park Service officials said that since 2010, there have been more than 85 major breaks in the waterline with each repair often costing more than $25,000.

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