Photo by Deb Jacques Harold Pace of Ypsilanti uses a CME 55 drill to determine the location of the current sewer as work begins on the Oakland-Macomb interceptor. Crews are installing access shafts and flow gates in preparation for major repairs as part of a five-year, $144 million project.

By Cortney Casey
C & G Staff Writer

STERLING HEIGHTS — A pair of sewer projects expected to last approximately 18 months will be making an impact on travel in Sterling Heights.

The work, part of the initial phase of a five-year, $144 million repair effort, entails construction of sanitary sewer access shafts and flow control structures within the 37-year-old Oakland-Macomb interceptor, which runs underground through Sterling Heights, Warren and Shelby Township before veering into Oakland County.

Gates will be used to temporarily stop the flow of materials in the interceptor, allowing workers to perform repairs. The gates will also simplify the process of inspecting the sewer line in the future, said Sal Conigliaro, Sterling Heights’ Department of Public Works director.

According to Conigliaro, officials have been investigating the interceptor since its failure led to a water main break and an enormous sinkhole on 15 Mile, near Hayes, in 2004.

“They’ve identified a number of areas that have potential for problems,” he said. “Based on that evaluation, they’ve determined there’s large-scale repairs required throughout the sewer. Really, the only way to get down in there effectively is to somehow shut the flow off and put equipment and personnel down in there.”

An inspection conducted two years ago unearthed “serious structural flaws,” leaks and unstable soil conditions at multiple points in the interceptor, according to Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Anthony V. Marrocco.

Workers recently completed emergency repairs on the most deteriorated stretch of the interceptor, near Nine Mile and Stephens in Warren.

Last fall, Macomb and Oakland counties assumed joint ownership of the 21-mile interceptor system —which serves 24 communities and their 830,000 residents — from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.

The Macomb County Public Works Department claims the counties will save millions by performing repairs themselves, instead of relying on Detroit, and will monitor and maintain the interceptor to prevent further catastrophes and limit repair costs.

The DWSD never inspected those lines, and the repairs would have been crucial no matter who owned the interceptor, said Deputy Public Works Commissioner Gene Schabath.

Officials broke ground on the first project, dubbed Control Structure No. 6, amid snowy weather Feb. 26. The construction site lies within the utility corridor on the south side of 15 Mile, between Schoenherr and Maple Lane.

“Not only is this the largest project in Macomb County Public Works history, but the entire repair and construction project is probably one of the largest sanitary sewer rehabilitation projects in the annals of the state,” said Marrocco.

To accommodate No. 6’s construction, eastbound traffic on 15 Mile will be reduced to one lane in the project area during daytime working hours — 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday — as a precautionary measure.

The second project, Control Structure No. 7, is on the west side of Dodge Park Road, a quarter-mile north of 15 Mile, near Broad Street.

For the No. 7 project, which Schabath said should start in April, the curb lane and adjacent lane of Dodge Park Road will be shut down, with the center lane used for southbound traffic. The relocation of a water main and natural gas line necessitated by the work will cause “some localized, temporary interruption” to surrounding residents, who will be notified beforehand, according to the county.

“I’ve talked to these people, and they said it’s going to be a real brief time, maybe a few hours at most,” said Schabath.

City officials also have indicated that some work may be done at night, but emphasized that it will not disturb residents.

“As with any project, there’s going to be some inconveniences; it’s going to be impossible to avoid,” said Conigliaro. “But we’re going to try to minimize those as much as possible.”

The city of Sterling Heights is asking residents to direct inquiries or complaints to the Oakland County Water Resources commissioner at (248) 858-1127 during business hours or at (248) 858-0931 after hours.

Conigliaro said another gate will be installed at a segment along Utica Road, west of the Dodge Park Road roundabout, later this summer. But construction will occur after Sterlingfest, which is set for Aug. 5-7, to prevent compounding the chaotic traffic generated by the annual festival, he said.

Crews also are performing similar work at two sites in Warren: on 10 Mile and on Common. Together, the installation of the five gates in Warren and Sterling Heights will cost around $46 million, said Schabath.

Schabath noted that the counties are saving $15.9 million from the total cost of the five-year repair program due to a federal economic stimulus grant.

“Without these repairs, there could be a catastrophic collapse of the interceptor, with tens of thousands of gallons of sewage being diverted into nearby drains and rivers,” Marrocco wrote in a memo sent to residents.

You can reach Staff Writer Cortney Casey at ccasey@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1046.