Fort Lauderdale-led forcemain replacement moves through Oakland Park with monthsmore of phased drilling, road closures

City and contractor engineers described to the Oakland Park City Commission on May 7 the scope, schedule and neighborhood impacts of Phase 4 of Fort Lauderdale’s Coral Ridge forcemain replacement, a major sanitary sewer transmission project that runs through parts of Oakland Park.

The project replaces roughly 16,500 linear feet of sanitary force main countywide; Phase 4, which runs mostly in Oakland Park, covers about 7,500 linear feet and includes large-diameter pipe installations using horizontal directional drilling and open-cut connections, city and contractor staff said.

Why it matters: the pipeline carries wastewater flows from parts of Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park and Wilton Manors; in wet seasons the existing line can carry on the order of 18.5 million gallons per day, the engineer said. Officials said the work is intended to reduce the risk of failure from an asset originally installed in the late 1970s.

The contractor and engineer described methods and timing. Vince (engineer, Chen Moore & Associates) said crews are installing a series of large horizontal directional drills (HDDs), including a 2,100-foot bore intended to install a 48-inch high-density polyethylene (HDPE) force main. He said the pipe’s outside diameter is about 48 inches while the internal diameter is closer to 42 inches; the larger pipe will accommodate cumulative flows entering the corridor from multiple pump stations and laterals.

Work already completed includes a 24-inch HDD crossing across Funky Buddha and additional crossing work at Coral Ridge Golf Course, the team said. The current focus is on the long drill on NE 30th Street between Federal Highway and 16th Avenue; that work requires large drill rigs, pipe-fusing and temporary staging in the right-of-way.

Traffic and neighborhood impacts: the presentation outlined a mix of full road closures (shown in the project MOT) and local-access-only operations. The contractor will stage pipe stringing and fusing in the right-of-way and perform pullbacks that may run 24 hours a day for up to 72 continuous hours when the main pullback is performed, Vince said. To reduce cut-through traffic, staff said they will install six additional variable-message signs, change some existing signs from “local traffic only” to “no through traffic,” and add specific, custom detour signage. Officials also said they will deploy flaggers and, where needed, temporary speed-hump traffic calming if cut-through speeds rise.

City Public Works Director Albert Curran told the commission the city has been meeting one-on-one with contractor and Fort Lauderdale staff to revise the MOT and signs after residents reported problems. He said some work is already staged and that Federal Highway crossings and select roundabouts will require temporary full closures for safety because of the size of the equipment and the open pits.

Schedule and remaining tasks: the team told the commission that phase 4 construction is anticipated to be completed in fall 2025, but that schedule is subject to weather and other delays. Two final connections—one to Oakland Park’s flow meters and one to Wilton Manors—require certification from the regional utility authority before they can be tied in, the engineer said. Crews also plan to restore disturbed roadway sections after construction with a final mill-and-overlay once heavy construction is complete.

Commissioners pressed for neighborhood protections. Mayor Tim Lonergan said he lives near the work and reported residents phoned him about unsafe driving and vehicles bypassing signs; several commissioners asked that flaggers, additional signage and BSO awareness be used to keep speeds down. Curran and the contractor said flaggers are being used at single-lane closures and that they will add temporary speed tables if problems persist.

The contractor said they will provide emergency contact numbers for immediate resident concerns and will continue coordination with city staff to refine the MOT plans.

Ending: City Manager Hebert and commissioners framed the forcemain as a necessary, disruptive public works upgrade that will support future development and protect wastewater infrastructure across multiple municipalities. Residents should expect intermittent closures and staged work in the coming months and can call the project contact list for urgent issues.