By Jason Islas
Staff Writer

July 11, 2012 -- Santa Monica’s Public Works department just completed a 10-month-long project to remove old pipes from a three-block area Downtown.

Officials made sure that the project, which spanned Third Court between Broadway Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard, affected businesses as little as possible.
 
“It was a challenging project due to its location,” said Project Manager Chris Lamm, adding that it was clear that the pipe needed to be replaced.

“In that three-block area, there was an average of one break a year (in the pipe),” he said.

Each year, the City allocates funds for such repairs, Lamm said. The Downtown pipe had been singled out this year due to consistent problems.

In order to make the extensive project as unobtrusive as possible, workers removed and replaced the old pipe one block at a time.

“The new pipe should last 75 to 100 years,” Lamm said.

The new 2,200-foot long pipe is made from “ductile iron,” a much stronger material than the original cast iron pipe.

The new pipe also has a 12-inch radius -- 4 inches bigger than the radius of the one replaced -- “in order to accommodate future growth,” Lamm said.

Overall, he called the project a success, which he credited partly to cooperation with local business owners to make sure that it went as smoothly as possible.