Work has begun on the Oakland Inner Harbor Pipeline Crossing, which will replace an existing transmission pipeline crossing near the Posey Tube that has reached the end of its useful life. The new pipeline will be installed beneath the Oakland Inner Harbor approximately 1,500 feet to the east of the existing crossing via Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD). This entails fusing the 3,000-foot-long, 24-inch diameter HDPE pipeline together on the Alameda side, drilling a borehole beneath the harbor floor from Alameda to Oakland, and pulling the new pipeline through the borehole. Additionally, the District’s contractor will be installing nearly two miles of 24-inch steel pipeline in Oakland and Alameda, which will connect the new crossing to existing transmission mains and further improve the hydraulic connectivity between Alameda and Oakland.
Project Update
The week of February 13, 2023, the contractor will begin fusing pieces of pipeline together starting at 1201 Marina Village Pkwy to Mitchell Ave., ending at Bette St. The fused pipeline will remain on the south side of the street until it is installed.
To maintain access to the intersection as long as possible, a small section of pipeline will be fused separately on Mitchell St., between 5th St and Bette St. This piece of pipeline will be fused with the rest of the pipeline prior to installation.
Traffic Impacts
The EBMUD Oakland Inner Harbor Pipeline Crossing Project will impact traffic in the Marina Village Pkwy and Atlantic Ave area of Alameda. Beginning the week of February 13, 2023, access to the Posey Tube through Marina Square Drive and Marina Square Loop at Marina Village Pkwy will be closed. Traffic to the Posey Tube will detour via Webster Street. Access to 5th St from Mitchell Ave will be closed for up to three weeks in April.
Schedule
This phase of the project will begin the week of February 13 and continue through April 2023, Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. The streets will remain closed until pipeline is installed. All work on the project is expected to finish in winter 2023. During construction, the community can expect increased traffic in the vicinity of the work, detours and/or temporary lane closures, and construction-related noise. There are no planned water outages associated with this work. Typical project work hours are from 7 a.m to 5 p.m, Monday through Friday.
Public Meeting
A virtual public meeting was held on Wednesday, October 5, at 6 p.m. See a recording of the public meeting below.
