Oregon City Waterline Replacement Wins APWA Project of the Year

The team of Oregon City, Murraysmith, and Wildish won the APWA Oregon Chapter’s 2017 Project of the Year Award for their Highway 99E Bluff Waterline Replacement Project!

Originally constructed in the early 1900s, the Bluff Waterline was anchored to a rock face and extended 100 feet above Highway 99E. The exposed waterline began leaking due to corrosion in the pipe wall, spraying water on Highway 99E and the rail lines below, and forcing a closure of the highway and shutdown of the waterline. This leak was repaired by City operations staff, but further inspection discovered significant corrosion in other locations – the line clearly needed to be replaced quickly. A complete break in the main would release water at a rate over 15,000 gpm and pressure of 110 psi and would flood the 99E tunnel.

The project presented many hazards, including significant traffic control challenges, scaling the sheer cliff to install new pipe anchors and piping, potential falling rock on workers and motorists, and heavy materials being lifted 100 feet above the highway. With the team’s focus on safety throughout the project, over 200,000 cars and trucks passed through the work zone without a single incident.

The construction team navigated the cliff with ropes, lifts, and cranes, often working in adverse weather conditions. Falling rocks, tools, or debris were a significant concern within the work zone. Despite hazards, Wildish reported 2,243 labor hours worked with no time lost from injury. In fact, there was no need to even open a first-aid kit on this project!

The project team successfully replaced the waterline, ensuring fire flows can be maintained at the future Willamette Falls Riverwalk and downtown area during peak season demands.

The City also salvaged the existing pipe for use in an upcoming art project aimed to educate the public on the importance of public infrastructure.

Project engineer, Adam Crafts, takes a selfie with the new waterline.