Sewer Work In Chinatown Resumes In March, Traffic Impacts Anticipated

LOS ANGELES (February 26, 2009)---Rehabilitation work on an aging pipeline in downtown Chinatown along Cesar Chavez Avenue between North Broadway and New High Street will resume on Monday, March 2nd and will continue for up to 10 business days. No work will transpire on weekends, and work hours will be round-the-clock on some days to expedite project completion.

The work will be done by the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. Improvements to the North Broadway sewer are critical to prevent sewer odors, spills and any other disruptions to sewer services in the neighborhood.

Motorists that frequent this major Chinatown-Downtown junction will experience traffic impacts during the construction period. Traffic lanes along North Broadway and Cesar Chavez Avenue will be reduced, and on-street parking will be temporarily impacted. Motorists are encouraged to explore alternate routes during this period.

City Engineer Gary Lee Moore says, "The Department of Public Works Bureau of Engineering is working hard to keep our sewer pipes functioning optimally. We appreciate everyone's understanding as we complete our sewer work in Chinatown. We have worked closely with the community and partner agencies to minimize traffic inconveniences during these few weeks."

Work on the North Broadway sewer began in early November 2008 when crews rehabilitated the pipeline reach that stretches from College Street to Bernard Street. Work on the second reach along Cesar Chavez Avenue was postponed until after the City construction holiday moratorium from November 17 through January 2 and the Chinese holiday moratorium from January 19 to February 2.

The sewer will be repaired with the cured-in-place pipe liner method. Construction vehicles and equipment will be onsite, and there will be compression noise and debris removal from maintenance holes. Sewer service interruptions are expected to be minimal.

The North Broadway sewer line is one of many that the City is building, repairing, or replacing citywide as part of the City of Los Angeles' settlement agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Santa Monica Baykeeper. This citywide capital improvement program is funded by the citizens' sewer service fees, and aims to improve the wastewater system of the City of Los Angeles.

To learn more about this sewer construction project, please see attached project flyers, or call the project hotlines: (213) 978-0333 for English or (213) 978-0317 for Chinese. More information is also available online at www.lasewers.org .

The Department of Public Works is the City's third largest municipal division, and is managed by the five-commissioner Board of Public Works. The department oversees the construction, renovation, and operation of public projects such as municipal buildings, streets, bridges, streetlights, water treatment plants, sewers and sidewalks, and provides essential public services like recycling and solid waste management.

For more information, contact the Public Affairs Office at (213) 978-0333, via email at pao@lacity.org or visit the Public Works' Web site: http://www.lacity.org/DPW/dpwhome.htm.

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posted on 2009-02-27


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