Crews will reach the halfway mark early this year in the first phase of construction on a new central wastewater pipeline running from Ridgefield to Salmon Creek.
Work continues on several fronts as crews aim to finish building a large portion of the Discovery Wastewater Transmission System by 2016. The pipeline will carry wastewater from the Ridgefield Junction to the Salmon Creek Treatment Plant, and city officials say it will play a critical role in attracting new businesses as the small city continues to develop in the coming years.
In the meantime, drivers can expect to see roadwork at a number of locations this winter.
Last month, crews began installing 1½ miles of pipeline on Northeast 10th Avenue. The line will stretch from Northeast 209th Street south to 179th Street, and a 10-foot-wide section of the road will be closed as construction continues through February. Traffic will still be able to go around that section in both directions.
This week, pavement restoration is scheduled to begin after crews installed a 600-foot section of pipe on Northeast 20th Avenue between Northeast 152nd and Northeast 154th streets.
In the last two weeks of January, a 300-foot section of pipeline will be installed in front of Albertsons on Northeast 20th Avenue in Salmon Creek. The store’s north parking lot entrance may be closed until the work is done.
At that time, there also will be a partial lane closure along the east side of Northeast 20th Avenue for a pipe replacement.
Construction began in June on the multi-phase project to extend wastewater treatment throughout Ridgefield’s city limits and its urban growth area. The pipeline will support growth for 20 or more years.
Overall, the work is expected to cost $25 million. So far, the project is on budget and on schedule, the Clark Regional Wastewater District reports.
To date, the work has included the installation of more than 3.5 miles of sewer pipe at the Neil Kimsey Pump Station, located at the Gee Creek Rest Area along northbound Interstate 5. Crews are scheduled to continue working at the rest area.
