Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Toby Barker was joined by Ward 2 Councilwoman Deborah Delgado to announce a significant sewer project that will include repairing and replacing much of the Tuscan Avenue sewer line and one block of the Penton Street sewer line.

“We continue to make strides in responsibly addressing infrastructure needs across the city, and we push ourselves to ensure that every neighborhood sees progress,” said Barker. 

In 2015, the Tuscan Avenue line was investigated by robotic closed-circuit television cameras. Prior to this, the existing concrete line from Martin Luther King Avenue to Penton Street was replaced with a PVC line and was still in-tact. However, the areas outside of this section were found to have differing levels of structural defects.

This past summer, additional imaging found that the structural defects included cracks and misaligned joints – which can be problematic as it allows for stormwater to infiltrate the system. The imaging report also showed that these cracks and misaligned joints can lead to structural problems with the pipe and can cause collapse – escalating the need for replacement and repair. 

The following plan of action was recommended:

SEWER REPAIR

The section of the Tuscan Avenue line from Penton Street to Cedar Street was found to be of sufficient structural integrity and was eligible for a repair technique called Cured In-Place Pipe (CIPP), a process that lines the concrete pipe with an epoxy polymer resin liner which will seal the noted defects and aid in the removal of infiltration from this section of the line. It also increases the lifespan of the line by 30-40 years. 

This part of the project is complete.

SEWER REPLACEMENT

The line’s structural integrity from Cedar Street down, as it dead-ends past Edwards Street, did not meet sufficient standards and will need to be replaced with a new PVC line. After installing the new pipe and allowing the sewer trench to settle, all of Tuscan Avenue will be repaved.

Barker added, “Being proactive in taking care of the sewer line underneath Tuscan Avenue before we pave the actual road will ensure the long-term quality of this important thoroughfare.”

Residents along Tuscan Avenue and throughout the surrounding streets will receive letters this week regarding timelines and frequently asked questions about the project but can anticipate that the road will be cut and dug up for the replacement. The new line will then need several months for the trench to settle before asphalt can be laid. While inconvenient in the interim, this settling period will allow for the long-term durability of Tuscan Avenue. 

Work will begin on this project in the coming weeks. It was bid out and awarded to Jay Bearden Construction with a total cost of $415,886.73, which was budgeted for out of funds that were originally slated to build a wastewater treatment facility.

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