Drivers on Chambers Creek Road in University Place could notice some minor traffic slowdowns and construction taking place during the next six to eight months. Contractors are rehabilitating 3,500 feet of concrete sewer pipe a hundred feet below Chambers Creek Road by installing a fiberglass-reinforced liner inside the pipe.

Installation of a wastewater bypass pipe began recently along the north side of Chambers Creek Road. The 2,700-foot bypass is expected to take six to eight weeks to fully install. Construction work will affect Chambers Creek Road traffic at various locations between 85th Avenue West and the New Tacoma Cemetery.

The bypass also will extend south in the general direction of the Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, crossing the Chambers Creek Properties recreational play fields and perimeter trail. The trail near the labyrinth by the Environmental Services Building will be periodically closed during the installation process, which is expected to be completed within three to four weeks. Pedestrians, cyclists, and others using the trail and play fields are encouraged to be aware of obstacles and closures and use caution.

When the bypass is ready and the wastewater flow diverted, the contractor will begin installing the new liner in the tunnel. This is expected to take six to eight months to complete. When it’s done, the bypass pipe and temporary construction shafts on Chambers Creek Road will be removed or abandoned and the road restored to its original condition. Also, the pipe will be removed from the Chambers Creek Properties recreational areas. Until that time, construction-related impacts will continue.

For more information on the Chambers Creek Interceptor Tunnel Rehabilitation Project, visit http://www.piercecountywa.org/tunnelrehab .