The City of Bremerton has approved a $2,356,617.83 bid to replace a 3,000-foot section of its crosstown sewer pipeline later this summer.

The crosstown pipeline conveys all the sewage from East Bremerton and much of West Bremerton to the city’s treatment plant. City engineer Ned Leever said that the line is arguably the most important one in the city.

In good a bit of good news for the cash-strapped city, the bid came in at about $1 million less than what was originally budgeted for the project.

The work is expected to get underway in late June and run through July and August. The work will bring road closures and detours that will affect residents and commuters alike. The work will begin near the cemetery at 12th and Naval and then run along 11th Street between Naval and Montgomery. From there, new pipe will be installed along Montgomery, in front of Safeway, for about a block and a half. The 11th Street portion alone, is expected to bring a two-month closure.

“All of the traffic that would normally go down 11th Street and 6th Street will now go down 6th Street,” Leever said. “We’ll take them down to Warren Avenue where we will have a double left turn lane which is similar to what we have at 11th and Warren out to Warren Avenue Bridge to the north. It’s just that in reverse if you’re coming in from East Bremerton and you’re trying to get to Kitsap Way.”

Leever said that the city will also do its best to accommodate traffic for Callow Avenue business. City staff has been notifying local residents about the anticipated road closures and Leever said that outreach will continue throughout the course of the project.

The crosstown sewer line has failed three separate times between 2007 and 2010 during heavy rainfall events, resulting in sanitary sewer overflow events. The project includes the installation of some 2,600 feet of 36-inch diameter high density polyethylene pipe that is larger in diameter and will allow more flow and the material is far more resistant to the corrosive effects of wastewater. Additionally, approximately 866 feet of the existing pipe will be rehabilitated using Cure-In-Place-Pipe technology. Finally, the concrete surge chamber at the intersection of 13th Street and Naval Avenue will be replaced with a HDPE manhole.