Donald Street Emergency Sewer Repair
Emergency sewer repair work on the westbound lanes of Donald Street, Hamilton, is progressing well. We expect work will be complete and Donald Street will reopen by Monday 25 November 2024.
About the work
A section of sewer main has collapsed under the road near 19 Donald Street, Hamilton, and needs to be repaired as soon as possible.
An existing maintenance chamber (‘manhole’) under the road in front of 19 Donald Street will be removed, and about 15 metres of sewer main replaced. This and other sewer mains in the area will be relined as part of this emergency work, including on Donald Street between Beaumont and Swan Streets.
To ensure the wastewater network continues to work efficiently, a temporary sewer bypass line (and pump) that has been installed along Eva Street, Hamilton, and onto vacant land next to the rail corridor, will be moved to the southern side of Donald Street once emergency work starts.
Work will involve the use of heavy machinery and equipment to excavate a ~25 metre long by 5m wide by 6m deep pit on the westbound side of Donald Street, to reveal the sewer assets in need of removal and remediation. Diesel and electric pumps will be used to run the sewer bypass and dewatering equipment.
Our work schedule
The emergency work is expected to start from Wednesday 13 November 2024.
To minimise duration of the construction period, we will be working 24/7.
The work should take around 10 days to complete, assuming the weather is fine and there are no major issues.
How this will affect you
Noise, dust, vibration, light and odour
At times we will use machinery and equipment that generate noise, dust, vibration and light.
The most disruptive activities are east of Beaumont Street (towards town). This includes road cutting and sheet piling to stabilise the excavation, which will be carried out early in the work program, likely from Wednesday 13 November to Saturday 16 November.
We will make every effort to minimise the impacts, where possible, by:
- turning off machinery and vehicles when not in use
- scheduling the noisiest activities during the day or early in the evening
- using acoustic barriers where suitable
- positioning noisy equipment and lighting towers as far away as possible
- using non-tonal reversing beepers on all machinery
Residents closest to the excavation area may feel vibration during some construction activities. You may wish to secure any loose valuables on shelves, cupboards, picture rails or similar things ahead of work starting. Vibration monitoring will be carried out onsite during these activities.
There may also be some odour while work is carried out.
Traffic
You may notice changes to local traffic movements and construction vehicles in and around Donald Street during the emergency work.
All westbound lanes, including the parking lane, on Donald Street will be closed between Lawson and Beaumont Streets during the work. Road users will be diverted around the work zone via Lawson and Cleary streets, and Beaumont and Samdon Streets.
Donald Street will also be reduced to one westbound lane between Beaumont and Swan Streets to allow the sewer to be relined.
Reduced speed limits will be in place. Please follow the directions of traffic controllers and signs. For more information, please visit https://www.livetraffic.com/incident-details/213878
Vegetation
To help ensure the work zone is safe, some trees near 17-19 Donald Street may need to be trimmed or removed.
Our aim is to minimise inconvenience to you, and we thank you for your patience during this work.
Frequently asked questions
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Why is this work being carried out 24/7?
The sewer repair works on Donald Street are emergency works.
The temporary sewer bypass currently in place is designed to manage wastewater in the area on a short-term basis only. To minimise the risk of wastewater overflows upstream of the collapsed sewer main, we need to complete the emergency repair work as soon as possible so that wastewater in the area can be managed efficiently.
Additionally, Donald Street is an essential State Road that is critical within the Newcastle area. We need to complete the emergency repair work as soon as possible to help minimise disruption for road users, including heavy vehicles.
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Why is the work so noisy?
The emergency repair work involves road cutting and removing the road surface, and the use of heavy equipment for deep excavation. Trucks will need to pass through the work zone to collect excavated materials.
To ensure the excavated area is safe, sheet piling will be used to stabilise the excavation. Sheet piling is a construction technique where interlocking sheets of steel are driven into the ground to form a continuous barrier. This helps keep water out and the sides of the excavation stable. The process of driving the sheets into the ground is loud, and can produce some vibration.
Sheet piling will be carried out early in the works program, likely from Thursday 14 November to Saturday 16 November.
We will make every effort to minimise the impacts, where possible, by:
- turning off machinery and vehicles when not in use
- scheduling the noisiest activities during the day
- using acoustic barriers where suitable
- positioning noisy equipment and lighting towers as far away as possible
- using non-tonal reversing beepers on all machinery
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I can feel vibration in my house, should I be worried?
Some people may be able to feel or perceive vibration at lower levels than would lead to damage. Vibration may also be noticed with glasses rattling in cupboards or cabinets, or similar things. You may wish to secure any loose valuables on shelves, picture rails or cupboards ahead of work starting.
Although vibration may cause some discomfort for a short time, generally the risk of structural impacts on your home is low. We have identified several properties, closest to the excavation area, where vibration is likely to be felt and arranged pre-construction property condition assessments ahead of work starting.
We will be carrying out onsite vibration monitoring to help ensure vibration levels remain within safe limits.
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Will this work cause traffic disruptions?
During the emergency work, there will be some temporary traffic changes to ensure the safety of our workers and all road users including:
- full closure of Donald Street (westbound) between Lawson and Beaumont Streets
- partial closure of Donald Street (one lane open westbound) between Beaumont and Swan Streets, may cause delays.
- reduced speed limits and traffic control.
Please keep to speed limits and follow the direction of traffic controllers and signs. Road users are encouraged to plan ahead and consider alternative routes.
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Wasn't work just completed on Donald Street?
In late 2022, we engaged Eire Constructions to build a new sewer main under Donald Street, further east near Lawson Street, to help alleviate pinch-points in the network. The most recent break is unrelated to those works and needs to be repaired as soon as possible.