Two months ago, DC Water’s contractor found something it wasn’t expecting when it opened up a section of Albemarle Street for a manhole replacement project: a 72-inch storm drain underneath the century-old manhole structure.
The surprise find upended the agency’s plan for safely shoring up the work site and stopped the project cold.
Now, DC Water says, it has a new plan: The storm drain will be replaced with a new steel pipe and lined for enhanced structural integrity. DC Water estimates that work will be complete by the end of the year, weather permitting. Then, the brick-by-brick manhole removal and shoring can begin. Prior to the street closure east of Connecticut Avenue, the agency had predicted that the entire manhole project would be complete by year’s end.
DC Water made another unexpected discovery during a September 30th water service outage test related to the project: four water valves in need of repair, which will require addition water shutoffs. It has not announced a schedule for the work.
Here is the message that DC Water sent Friday, November 15th:
Greetings DC Water Community Stakeholders:
We are pleased to share that we have identified a solution to address the challenges posed by the unexpected 72-inch storm drain at the manhole excavation site. Below is an overview of the next steps in the process:
1. Order and Install Steel Pipe:
• Steel pipe will be ordered and custom-cut to fit the 72-inch storm drain to replace a segment of the existing pipe.
• Once the pipe is installed, it will be lined to enhance its structural integrity.
2. Shoring Work for the Manhole:
• Following the pipe installation, we will begin the necessary shoring work for the manhole demolition and replacement.
3. Coordination with PEPCO:
• We will work closely with PEPCO to de-energize existing assets within the work area to ensure a safe construction environment.
4. Anticipated Timeline:
• The 72-inch pipe replacement is anticipated to be complete by the end of this year, weather permitting.