Sewer work continues in medical district

May 31—Work to repair sewer and stormwater lines in the city's medical district continued Wednesday as the city looks to ready the area for paving.

Workers were busy relining pipe along 21st Avenue. Pipe relining involves running a tube of felt-like material through existing pipes followed by bursts of steam. The steam cures an epoxy in the lining material, sealing off any cracks or leaks.

Public Works Director David Hodge previously explained relining pipes is a preferred method as it can be done without digging up the streets. While not all repairs can be solved with the lining method, he said, it is a good tool for the city to have at its disposal.

Repairs to the medical district area, which runs from 18th Avenue to 21st Avenue, are being performed by Hemphill Construction as a work order under the contractor's $9.7 million term bid with the city for sewer work. The work, which is part of the federal consent decree, is being paid with bond funds.

Hodge said at the beginning of the repair work on May 2 that the project would likely take six to eight weeks.

Hodge has previously explained the city has planned to pave the medical district area for some time but held off until the sewer repair work could be done. With some excavation needed to complete the repairs, he said the city wanted to avoid paying to pave the area twice.

Other projects related to the consent decree are also underway throughout the city, including:

—replacing a 54-inch pipe along Sowashee Creek;

—phase 1-A of a rehabilitation project at the south wastewater treatment plant;

—cleaning out the equalization basin at the south wastewater treatment plant;

—upgrading control systems at the east wastewater treatment plant;

—phase 2-B of the Highway 80 trunk line repair project;

—phase 1 of a the west Meridian trunk line repair project; and,

—implementation of an asset management system at Meridian Public Works.

Contact Thomas Howard on Twitter @tmhoward