The impact
Pending DeKalb County sanitary sewer upgrades will result in two lengthy Oakhurst road closures beginning in the coming weeks. The first, on Second Avenue between E. Lake Dr. and Beaty Place, will begin October 28, 2019 and last approximately 12 weeks. The second, on Hood Circle near the intersection of Third Avenue and Leyden St., will begin in mid-November and last approximately 12-14 weeks.
Mobilization of some equipment and project signage will begin later this week.
How to manage
Detours will be in place for both closures and on-site signage will direct motorists to alternative routes as shown below (click each image for larger view):
MARTA’s Route #34 will be temporarily rerouted to Third Ave. School bus routes for Decatur High School, Renfoe Middle School, and Oakhurst Elementary School will also be rerouted. CSD’s Transportation Director will handle communication with impacted parents and students.
Project details
Project Overview
This DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management (DWM) project is to eliminate the Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) that have been occurring in the area of Hood Circle. The root cause of this issue has been degraded sewer lines resulting in reversed slope on the pipes and a clog or choke point that backs up under high flow conditions during heavy rain events. The solution that the County has developed has the following features:
- Increased sewer pipe size from 8” to 10”
- Minimum slopes, compliant with proper design practice
- Re‐alignment of the sewer route to eliminate crossing as many private yards as possible
- 1,667 linear feet of replaced pipe
- 780 linear feet of lining existing pipe
- 18 new or rehabilitated manholes
Review the County’s project presentation here. (9mb .pdf)
Stages of the Work
The following stages of work will be performed concurrently in order to minimize the overall schedule and thereby minimize overall disruption to residents.
- Open Cut Replacement on 2nd Avenue from Beaty Place to East Lake Drive. This involves completely closing the road for approximately 12 weeks with traffic detoured accordingly. The road will be completely resurfaced when the work is complete.
- Jack and Bore under the Dog Park. In an effort to minimize impacts to trees and the dog park the sewer will be installed using the trenchless method. The extent of this stage of work is from the intersection of 2nd Avenue and East Lake Dr. to the private property north of the Dog Park. The anticipated duration of this work is approximately 8 weeks.
- Open Cut Replacement from the empty lot through Hood Circle. Here a new sewer is being provided for Hood Circle to the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Leyden St. This replaces the sewer routing through the backyards of all houses on the south side of Hood Circle, including sections routed directly underneath houses. In this area it will not be possible to save all trees in the immediate vicinity so removal and replacement will occur in accordance with City of Decatur tree protection standards. Affected homeowners have already been made aware of the potential impact to the trees on their respective properties. The road will be completely resurfaced when the work is complete. Estimated duration for this work is 12 – 14 weeks.
- Reconnection of Services at Houses. Most of these are non‐invasive connections in the street. Those along Hood Circle where the sewer is re‐routed from the backyard will involve varying degrees of plumbing work from trenching a new route in yards to possibly above grade adjustments in the crawl‐space of houses. All disturbed properties will be restored to like condition or better. Lines taken out of service will either be removed or abandoned in place, whichever is less disruptive to yards. Manholes will be taken down to a minimum of two feet below grade and restored above. (Intermittent time periods through the schedule)
Key Features/Benefits of the Work
- Eliminate overflows in this area
- No more inaccessible sewers ‐ easier maintenance of existing infrastructure
- Increased capacity
- Reduced groundwater inflow and infiltration
- Long-term reliability
Got questions? Contact DeKalb County at 1-800-986-1108 or via email here.