Despite traffic problems, Coast Highway sewer project is vital to prevent spills, officials say

A black and white photo from a March 7, 1981, newspaper clipping shows Orange County Sanitation District crews cleaning up a massive sewage spill caused by a broken pipe along West Coast Highway in Newport Beach.

The highway was flooded with millions of gallons of raw sewage that eventually ended up in Newport Bay, said Robert Thompson, the sanitation district’s director of engineering.

The decades-old photo was projected on a large screen for about 50 spectators Wednesday night during a Speak Up Newport discussion that centered on a sewer pipeline replacement project currently underway east of Newport Boulevard along the section of Coast Highway known as Mariner’s Mile.

The need for the project, which has been marred by mishaps and traffic snarls in recent months, is illustrated by the photograph, Thompson said.

“Our job is to make sure that [spill] never happens again,” he said.

The first phase of construction on the sewage line began around Labor Day. Sanitation district crews are working to replace the 70-year-old pipe, which takes sewage from Newport Beach and adjacent communities to a plant in Huntington Beach that treats about 200 million gallons of sewage each day.

“It’s a very important local asset,” Thompson said.

However, many residents say they have been inconvenienced by construction setbacks and worse-than-usual traffic caused by the closure of all but one lane of the highway heading from Corona del Mar to Huntington Beach.

A contractor for the sanitation district ruptured gas lines twice in four days in January, causing long traffic delays. In February, crews working on the sewer line accidentally cut power to a traffic signal, which took hours to remedy.

Also during the project, crews have discovered unexpected items underground, including large pieces of wood and concrete that are believed to be remnants of a 100-year-old train system or an old bridge. That finding in March caused a delay that forced crews to work around the clock to the get project back on schedule, officials said.

“Traffic and construction is always painful,” said city Public Works Director Dave Webb. “Coast Highway is the worst, most impactful to work on.”

The project will be on hiatus from May 22 through Labor Day to increase access for beach and tourism traffic.

In September, crews will return to begin Phase 2, which will extend to the west side of Newport Boulevard. Crews are expected to wrap up the project by the end of the year.