The Maribyrnong River Main Sewer is about to be upgraded through Avondale Heights, Essendon West and Aberfeldie, the approximate route of the Maribyrnong Trail.
The Maribyrnong River Trail will remain accessible at all times during the project.
In some areas, a bypass pipeline will cross over the trail with ramps set up to maintain accessibility for path users.
The existing sewer, which serves 36,000 properties in Melbourne’s north-west, is to be relined, and so trenching is avoided.
More than 7km of the MRM sewer will be upgraded as part of the $35 million, 2-year project. The sewer transports around 24 million litres per day of wastewater to the Western Treatment Plant.
The work forms part of a broader sewer relining program which Melbourne Water is undertaking on a number of aging sewers around the city.
The project stretches from North Road in Avondale Heights to Orford Street in Moonee Ponds.
The first section of the sewer to be upgraded will be from Canning Reserve near the sports oval in Avondale Heights, through to Steele Creek Reserve in Essendon West.
This month the temporary above-ground sewer bypass pipeline and pumping equipment will begin to be installed from Canning Reserve through to Steele Creek Reserve next to the Maribyrnong River Trail.
Once these have been installed, crews will then start the sewer relining works and rehabilitating the manholes. Works will move progressively along the sewer alignment of each section from manhole to manhole.
Minor detours may be required for pedestrians and cyclists.
