HomeMy WebLinkAbout122822 Sewer Main Break and Road Closure UpdateCity of Port eo.'50 as 2Madison Street, Suite 2R I Port Townsend, WA 98366 Q 3611 011 w11 1 :12 11 9 11 11 511 011 111 6 C ww.cityo'fpt.us
FF;;; Townsend
PUBLIC WORKS
Contact: Public Works Department
Name: Steve King, Public Works Director
Phone: 360-531-1631
Email: skung@cutyofpt.us
For Immediate Release — December 28, 2022
SEWER MAIN BREAK AND ROAD CLOSURE UPDATE
PORT TOWNSEND — City crews discovered a failing sewer main on Tuesday, December 27, 2022.
The sewer main appears to have completely failed causing a sewer backup yesterday late in the
morning. The location of the failed sewer main is near the intersection of Water Street and
Gaines Street as shown on the map below. This sewer main serves all of Downtown and most of
Uptown and thus is an important sewer mainline with relatively high flows. Crews stabilized the
situation yesterday by using pumps to bypass the failed section of pipe. While raw sewage
overtopped the maintenance hole, thanks to the hard work of city crews, no sewage flowed
directly into the Bay. The City is working diligently to make an emergency repair and will be
contracting with Seton Construction beginning today. The City asks that people avoid the area
and to expect construction activity in the area over the next few days until the repair can be
made.
Additional information will become available once the situation is further assessed for the level
of repairs needed.
Location of sewer main break:
The sewer main break is located on Water Street between the Wells Fargo Bank access on Gaines
Street and the intersection of Sims Way and Water Street. The area is indicated on the below
map, outlined in red.
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cityafport eo.'I '
Townsend
PUBLIC WORKS
50 Madison Stureet, Suite 2R I Port Townsend, WA 98368 1360-1379.5096 C ww.cityo°i"pt.us
The area will remain closed until City staff assesses the damage and makes sure the road is safe
for vehicles. Staff suspects the pavement has been undermined extensively and one sink hole
has already formed. Construction activity will also require closure of the road for safety of the
traveling public and workers.
Business Access:
All adjacent businesses will have access throughout this time. The sidewalks on the east side of
Gaines Street and the north side of Water Street will remain free and clear for pedestrian travel.
Contact:
For questions about this project, please contact City of Port Townsend's Public Works Director,
Steve King, P.E. 360-531-1631 or sking@cityofpt.us
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