At the October 01, 2020 Infrastructure Committee meeting, Raffi Moughamian, Associate Civil Engineer gave a presentation on the traffic control plan for East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)’s Oakland Inner Harbor Pipeline Crossing. Notes from the presentation, discussion, and the presentation are below.

Notes

• EBMUD is replacing a 1940s pipeline in the Oakland-Alameda estuary and on surrounding streets in Oakland and Alameda. The pipeline is currently seismically unsound.
• Construction cost is $28M.
• Environmental impact report (EIR) has already been completed.
• Oakland streets affected: Madison (8th to 4th Streets), Jackson (5th to 4th), 4th St (Jackson to Fallon), Fallon St (4th to end)
• All construction traffic controls were determined in the EIR.
• Madison bike lane (8th to 4th Sts) to be kept open during construction, but parking will be removed—Car lanes will be reduced from 8th St to 5th St, and cars will be banned entirely from 5th St to 4th St.
• 4th Street (Jackson to Oak) will be closed to cars and bikes, but emergency access will be maintained.
• Fallon Street will be turned into one-way only, but access for cars and bikes will be maintained.
• At Oak Street around 3rd/4th, construction will need to close the bike lane and add “share the lane” signage instead.
• Construction to be completed by 2023.
• Contact raffi.moughamian@ebmud.com with any follow-up questions.

Discussion

•  How often are projects like this implemented?
  • Larger diameter pipeline projects like this are less frequent, but smaller diameter pipelines projects are ongoing.
• What outreach has been done to residents and businesses?
  • The EIR phase included outreach to local addresses, including invitation to meetings. Once construction is scheduled, more outreach will be conducted.
• Request to let committee know once construction dates are scheduled so they can help with outreach.
  • EBMUD staff will do.
• Consider “bikes may use full lane” instead of “share the road” signage; Consider sharrows at Oak St bike lane closure if construction lasts for a substantial period of time; Consider adding flaggers or traffic controls at the entrance/exit of restaurant supply business whose driveways already have bad sightlines.
  • Will look into it and coordinate with OakDOT staff

View the presentation below or download it here [PDF].