“Staging requires meticulous inventory management and organization that is not typical for this type of work,” says Wick. Narrow CorridorĪbove ground, keeping such a large, extended project on track while minimizing disruptions poses a challenge in the tight urban environment with its narrow streets and constant traffic. Instead, the sewer repairs went ahead later in a more efficient fashion when everyone was prepared. Other options would have left traffic snarled while redirecting the sewer line or storm drain or both and fabricating components. “This likely saved several days of closure, which would have had a major impact on the traveling public,” says Bren Wick, project manager for general contractor Las Vegas Paving. Crews came across a sewer line at an unexpected elevation and needed to make an on-the-spot decision about how to proceed.Īfter quick consultation, it was decided to temporarily plug the sewer line and cut a portion out of the way, allowing construction of the storm drain to push ahead, with the sewer line to be repaired later. Many of the relics date to the 1950s, when the city had a population of about 50,000 and underground mapping was less a priority than in today’s Las Vegas metro area of more than two million people.Įxisting infrastructure also brought some surprises, particularly during a weekend marathon to install new storm drains. Watson-Mihelcic says the project, which is being managed by the city, is on schedule despite encountering what she calls “underground surprises.” Those include old sewer and drain lines, abandoned utility installations, and even forgotten traffic signals and a long-paved-over concrete section of old U.S.

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