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West Transmission pipeline progresses; Dean Sullivan closure expected for days, contractor reports tunneling setback from flooding
Summary
City engineer reported steady pipe installation on both segments of the West Transmission project, trenching methods, and a bore pit flooded during recent storms that damaged tunnel-boring machine electronics; planned short-term closures including Dean Sullivan are expected to last a few days.
Corey Grama, utilities engineer, updated the Water & Sewer Committee on April 8 on the West Transmission pipeline project, reporting steady progress on both construction segments and describing methods crews are using to lay and protect 50-foot pipe sections.
Grama described use of large trench boxes on straight alignments and smaller trench boxes in topographic or curving areas. He said more than 60% of the pipe is on-site and roughly 3,000 feet of segment 1 and 2,400 feet of segment 2 have been installed (each representing about 8% of its alignment). He noted deliveries, tracer-wire installation, and corrosion-coating work being completed before pipe is lowered into trenches.
On public impacts, Grama said crews will close Dean Sullivan for a multi-day full closure (24 hours per day) when they cross that road; he estimated the contractor requested a week but that work is likely to take three to four days unless unforeseen events occur. Committee member Theresa Turk asked to be notified in writing; Grama agreed to email a detailed schedule the next morning.
Grama warned heavy rains caused groundwater to overtop a bore pit for the Clear Creek tunnel south of Reed Valley Road. Pumps could not keep pace with groundwater and floodwater; the tunnel-boring machine sustained electronic damage. “They don't seem worried about it,” Grama said; contractor staff expect about a week to obtain parts and return the bore to service.
He also described a forthcoming specialty tapping operation to connect the new main to an existing 36-inch prestressed concrete cylinder pipe; the contractor Range Line (from Texas) will perform that tap because the material requires specialized expertise. Grama said that connection will create a temporary 36x24-inch outlet that will later be expanded when the Highway 112 relocation ties multiple stubs into a 48-inch line.
Why it matters: the project advances a large transmission main intended to increase system capacity, but it involves localized traffic impacts, specialized construction methods, and a schedule sensitive to weather and tunneling risks.
Grama said he will provide council members with closure timing and other public-facing details in writing prior to the Dean Sullivan closure.
