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Council hears technical briefing on Bridgeport sewer main rehabilitation; potholing and lining planned
Summary
Council received a staff briefing on a Bridgeport sewer main whose internal rebar is exposed. Engineers plan potholing at roughly 20 locations, above-ground bypass piping near Walmart and a relining approach (spiral/ slip-lining) to avoid full-depth excavation; traffic impacts and staging remain under review.
Councilmembers on March 3 received a technical update on a deteriorating sewer main under Bridgeport Avenue and the planned repairs to restore service without an extended full-depth excavation.
Councilmember Pearson asked city staff for an update on the project. Public works staff member Remack told the council the line's condition was discovered after televising (camera inspection) showed exposed reinforcing steel (rebar), indicating the pipe is at or near the end of its service life.
Remack said the contractor will begin potholing next week at about 20 locations to locate side sewer connections and branch mains and to inform the bypass and traffic-control plan. He said some potholes are deep (28'2 feet), which complicates use of standard Vactor trucks. The contractor plans above-ground bypass piping in the Walmart area while crews perform lining or localized repairs.
On rehabilitation technique, staff described a lining option often called a spiral lining (a newer insertion lining) or slip-lining that feeds a new structural liner through the existing pipe and cures in place to create a new inner surface rather than unearthing and replacing the entire pipe. Remack described the pipe as roughly 52 inches in diameter; the lining would provide a new internal shell. That approach is intended to limit full road closures; staff said the work will require opening the road to access manholes and will maintain at least one lane of traffic in each direction during work, with intermittent closures during potholing and setup.
Councilmember Branstetter asked about impacts to nearby residences and Fleck Creek. Staff said the plan is not expected to compromise creek integrity because the work is primarily relining and insertion-based rather than continuous open-cut excavation under the creek. If manholes or access points require benching (stepped excavation) to reach depths, crews will open the road locally, but the project team is working on traffic control and coordination with affected property owners.
Remack said the first field activity will be potholing to confirm depths, sewer lateral locations, and constructability; that work will inform the final traffic-control plan and staging. No final start date for the full lining was provided in the briefing.
The briefing contained technical explanations and planning steps; no formal council action was taken at the meeting.
