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Pierce County emergency sewer repairs on Bridgeport Way will bring temporary lane and sidewalk closures
Summary
Pierce County will begin emergency repairs to a corroded 72-inch sewer main near the southern University Place border; city staff warned of lane closures and a temporary bypass that will close one sidewalk and could cause multi-week traffic impacts starting in the coming week.
Pierce County will undertake emergency repairs on a large sewer main near the southern end of University Place that are expected to require temporary bypass piping, lane closures and a sidewalk shutdown, city staff told the City Council on Jan. 21.
City Manager Mr. Sugg briefed the council and asked Engineering and Public Works Director Jack Ecklund to summarize the project. Ecklund said that a video inspection last fall showed urgent corrosion to the county's 72-inch sewer pipe in the section between the University Place city limits and 75th Street near the Walmart, and that the county plans to install an overland bypass and later perform in‑place lining of the damaged pipe.
Why it matters: Bridgeport Way is a major east-west arterial that carries heavy daily traffic; the county’s temporary bypass is expected to run along one sidewalk inside University Place and will require lane closures for installation and exploratory tie‑in work. Ecklund said the bypass work could extend into University Place even though the pipe repair and final lining will occur in Lakewood.
Ecklund told the council, “the first major order of work will be to install a temporary bypass of the sewer main. … they're anticipating installing these pipes along the sidewalk on 1 side of the street.” He said the county expects the bypass piping to close the sidewalk on the east side and provide pedestrian detours to the other side of the street.
Timing and duration: Ecklund said the contractor had not finalized a day-by-day schedule but estimated about six to 10 weeks to install the bypass piping, followed by a longer lining phase. He likened the project to a previous Grandview repair that required bypass piping and months of work.
Ecklund said the county declared the repair an emergency after discovering the damage in November and expects visible activity soon. Council member Boykin asked when work would start; Ecklund said, “Very soon. … they’ve declared the emergency in December, and they're starting in January. So they're moving quickly to get this addressed,” and that the county plans to provide at least 48 hours’ notice before major activity and variable message signs for drivers.
Traffic and detour planning: Council members pressed for coordination with Lakewood and for detour planning that would keep traffic from backing up on connector roads such as 74th Street. Council member Fleming asked whether the city could coordinate an alternate bypass route to reduce congestion; Ecklund said the city had not yet developed a coordinated detour plan but would work with Lakewood and Pierce County and expected the county to provide contractor traffic-control plans before work begins.
Public impacts and mitigation: Ecklund said the repair method will use trenchless lining, not full excavation, which should reduce long-term impacts. He also described the technical cause of the corrosion: reinforcement‑concrete sewer pipe in a steep section creates turbulence and hydrogen sulfide that accelerates concrete corrosion; he said the problem is east of the city line and that University Place pipe segments do not show the same damage.
Next steps: City staff will relay schedule updates and public‑facing notices, and the county will provide advance warnings to motorists. Ecklund said the city will post schedule and traffic information on its website and social channels as it receives details from Pierce County.
