For More Information Contact:
Joe Harwood, 541-685-7471
Eugene Water & Electric Board

Feb. 1, 2011

EWEB water main replacement begins Wednesday

Eugene Water & Electric Board construction crews on Wednesday, Feb. 2, will begin work on a $1.2 million water main replacement project along Coburg Road.

The project will start at the intersection of Coburg Road and Oakway Road in front of the P.F. Chang’s restaurant, and proceed north toward Harlow Road. See map

During the initial phase of the project, crews will work from 8 a.m. to about 4 p.m. While the far right lane of southbound Coburg Road at Oakway will be closed during the daytime work (this lane accesses Oakway Road and Southwood Lane), crews will keep the other two lanes of southbound Coburg open. The day work is expected to last until around mid-February.

As the project proceeds north, crews will begin working night shifts to lessen traffic congestion and to avoid impacts to surrounding businesses. During the night work, running from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., crews will close sections the outside southbound lane of Coburg Road to install the new pipe, then reopen the lane at the end of each shift.

Flaggers will help control traffic during the construction work. Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians should proceed with caution when entering the work zone. The project will be complete in April. See weekly updates on this and other EWEB projects

The project will replace an aging and brittle 8-inch concrete water main installed in the 1950s with a more durable 10-inch ductile iron pipe. The existing main runs under the outside southbound lane of Coburg Road and has outlived its expected lifespan.

The Eugene Water & Electric Board is in the fourth year of a major capital improvement program to replace aging infrastructure such as water mains and distribution lines. The existing main under Coburg is on the utility’s replacement list.

The city of Eugene is planning to repave the section of Coburg Road from Oakway Road north past Harlow Road this summer, so EWEB needs to replace the water main prior to the pavement project. The new main will allow EWEB to continue to provide reliable water service to this section of Eugene. The larger diameter pipe also will improve water flow to fire hydrants.