The City of Vancouver says traffic flow has been restored through the area of Terminal Avenue but a permanent solution is still being worked out
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The City of Vancouver said this week that traffic and pedestrian access is fully restored in the 100-block of Terminal between Quebec and Main streets.
The sewer main leak near Science World in False Creek was detected in late June and crews spent months making interim repairs while investigating the cause.
“This included installing an above-ground sewer bypass system to direct sewage to flow around the damaged section of pipe, allowing crews to work on it,” said a city spokesperson in a statement Friday.
“The planning for the repairs was complex as the location of the leak is close to third-party infrastructure and is impacted by tidal conditions,” it said. “The extended closure of Terminal Avenue eastbound was required to investigate the potential causes of the failure and to assess and address any soil stability issues caused by the leaking pipe.”
Crews determined that corrosion to the 26-year-old pipe was to blame for the sewage leak, a surprise given that sewer infrastructure is designed to have a 100-year life expectancy. Determining why it corroded so quickly will guide the design of permanent repairs, the city said.
The next phase is expected to begin later this year and will focus on a permanent repair of the damaged pipe sections. The bypass will stay in place until permanent repairs are complete.
The city did not provide an update on the cost of the repairs so far, nor how much it will cost for the long-term fix. Postmedia News has asked for those figures.