Vital upgrades to a water main on one of Melbourne’s busiest streets caused minimal disruptions due to the use of trenchless technology.
Greater Western Water (GWW) completed upgrades on 250m of the almost 100-year-old water main along Swanston Street.
GWW worked closely with the Metro Tunnel Project, Cross Yarra Partnership and City of Melbourne to coordinate works with the construction of the new Town Hall Station, and manage impacts to pedestrians and local residents and businesses.
Due to the complex nature of Melbourne’s underground infrastructure, building new pipes requires careful planning to minimise disruption to other assets and services.
GWW’s delivery partner for this project, AquaMetro, used techniques to reduce the work’s impacts on nearby trees and allow for pedestrian access, including both slip-lining and pipe-bursting methods.
GWW general manager for growth and infrastructure Ian Burton said that delivering the upgrade now will reduce the need for works when Town Hall Station opens.
“Our pipes are built to last about 100 years and this water main, which was built in 1928, was in need of a vital upgrade to serve Melbourne’s growing population,” Burton said.
“We always do our best to minimise disruptions to the communities we work in and that’s why we’ve collaborated with other major projects in the area to coordinate works at the same time, limit the impacts and protect the city’s heritage.”
Completing the works alongside other construction in the area reduces the need to disturb heritage assets such as blue stone pavements and curbs again in the future, and reduces the amount of time this busy part of the CBD experiences disruptions due to construction activities.
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