Liner work completed at former sinkhole site, but detour still in place

The installation of a new liner in a sewer pipe at the site of the former Washington Avenue sinkhole site is complete, but a detour of southbound traffic will continue for about another week, the city engineer said Tuesday.

Ralph Swenson said there is still clean-up to be done, and some “access ports” to the underground work site have to be patched.

The detour, which forces southbound traffic off Washington Avenue at the corner of Linderman Avenue, has been in effect since June 12. The same detour was in place in April amid underground work by Arold Construction to remove grout from a sewer pipe. Arold also is doing the liner work.

The liner that had to be replaced was damaged during a grouting process amid the repair of the former sinkhole, which opened near Linderman Avenue in the spring 2011 and was the focus of a sixyear repair project.

The damage to the liner allowed grout to partly fill the sewer pipe and block the flow in a section of the city’s sanitary sewer system beneath Washington

Avenue.

Swenson has said he the city has “sufficient funding in place” for the new liner and its installation. The city so far has borrowed about $2.5 million to pay for the grout removal and related expenses.

The total cost of the sinkhole-related work on Washington Avenue now exceeds $10 million.

During the six-year repair project, Washington Avenue was closed in both directions to all but local traffic from Linderman Avenue to Route 32, a span of five blocks.