2021 Water System Improvements Projects
Project Status
To help keep area residents informed of our construction progress, we will post project updates to this site on a regular basis. Click here to see status updates.
Project Details/Neighborhood
82nd Ave SE, from SE 24th St to north dead end street;
81st Ave SE, between SE 24th St and N Mercer Way; and
SE 24th St, between 80th and 82nd Ave SE
Background
The City of Mercer Island evaluates our water system on a regular basis to ensure that the infrastructure remains in good condition and maintains adequate capacity to provide water to customers. The water mains in this area are aging and in need of upgrades which will improve the system’s structural integrity and reliability, and improve water flow for fire suppression.
Project Type
Replace and install water mains, water services, fire hydrants, and other system components
Description
The 2021 Water System Improvements project consists of the following scope of work:
- Replace 2,600 linear feet (LF) of water main;
- Replace 32 water services;
- Replace eight (8) fire hydrant assemblies;
- Install three (3) air vacuum release valve assemblies; and
- Provide roadway and sidewalk restoration
Project Timeline
Starting late April 2021 and it is expected to be completed by mid-August 2021. Status updates will be posted here (see below).
Estimated Budget
Pacific Civil & Infrastructure, Inc (PCI) submitted the winning bid ($1,082,268) on March 17, 2021. PCI has completed similar water utility projects successfully in City of Lacey and Pierce County, and sewer improvements projects for other public agencies in recent years.
Impact to Residents
Affected residents adjacent to project areas received a letter from the City of Mercer Island. Four water shutoffs are planned: we will hang a reminder notice on your front door the day before any water shutoffs and street closures.
Note
Please notify the City now if you have special landscape plants, irrigation lines or invisible fencing, particularly if they are located near the meter box. Also, keep everyone safe by keeping kids and pets away from the construction zones.
Want to learn more?
Read our FAQ here
Contact
Rona Lin, P.E., City of Mercer Island Utilities Engineer: (206) 275-7806 or rona.lin@mercerisland.gov
Status Updates
November 2021 Update
Photo 1: Fog line painting on SE 24th St – viewing from the east toward west, in front of 82nd Ave SE
Photo 2: Painted fog lines and crosswalk bars on SE 24th St near 81st Ave SE
All utility adjustments (raising valve cans/lids), roadway shoulders, property restorations, site cleanup, and equipment demobilization were completed by the end of August.
Roadway striping restoration and remaining punch list items were completed and accepted by the City in September.
Construction is fully completed within the approved project budget and timeline.
August 20, 2021 Update
- Permanent roadway surface restoration work on 81st Ave, 82nd Ave, and SE 24th Street was completed on Wednesday, August 18th.
- Over the next 2 weeks, the contractor will be working on miscellaneous items such as raising valve cans/lids, property restoration in areas disturbed by construction activities, site cleanup, pavement striping, and moving equipment off the Island.
- It is anticipated that most of the remaining work items will be completed by Labor Day, except for some punchlist items, which the contractor should finish by late September.
81st Ave SE – Roadway surface restoration was completed on 81st Ave SE on August 12. Property restoration, final cleanup, and equipment demobilization will take place in the next couple of weeks.
SE 24th St – Roadway surface restoration was completed on August 17. Utility adjustment (raising valve cans/lids) was done on August 18. Property restoration, final cleanup, and equipment demobilization will take place in the next couple of weeks.
82nd Ave SE – Roadway surface restoration was completed on August 18. Utility adjustment continues on August 19 and August 20. Property restoration, final cleanup, and equipment demobilization will take place in the next couple of weeks.
August 12, 2021 Update
Over the past two days, the following areas have been paved:
- 81st Ave SE between N Mercer Way (NMW) and SE 24th St
- Intersection of NMW and 81st Ave SE
- SE 24th St between 80th and 81st Ave SE, and
- Northern half of 82nd Ave SE.
Due to extreme heat in the region, the paving contractor is adjusting their remaining paving schedule as follows:
8/13 (Friday) – no paving work due to high heat
8/16 & 8/17 (Monday & Tuesday) – southern half of 82nd Ave SE and parts of SE 24th St
8/17 (Tuesday) – complete SE 24th St between 81st and 82nd Ave SE, and the intersection of SE 24th St and 81st Ave SE
8/17 & 8/18 (Tuesday & Wednesday) – various locations on all three streets where long-crossing temporary patches are located.
- The above schedule is approximate and may change slightly from one day to the next.
August 9, 2021 Update
- Roadway pavement restoration is scheduled for the weeks of August 9th and August 16th. Partial lane closures are expected.
The following is an estimated work schedule:
8/11 – 81st Ave SE between NMW & SE 24th St; and NMW at 81st Ave
8/12 & 8/13 – SE 24th St between 80th and 82nd Ave SE
8/13— 82nd Ave SE from SE 24th to the north
8/16 & 8/17— Continue working on 82nd Ave
- Prior to asphalt paving, grinding of existing pavement along the paving limits will take place. A minimum of 2 inches of roadway surface drop is expected between grinding and paving. On SE 24th St, the temporary surface drop may be as deep as 8 inches. The contractor’s traffic control personnel will be directing traffic around these closed roadway sections. Pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists are advised to take extreme pre-cautions when traveling through work areas during the above time periods.
- After roadway restoration, PCI will focus on completing punchlist items, site cleanup, and property restorations. Construction activities are estimated to be fully completed by the end of August.
July 21, 2021 Update
- PCI has been installing and replacing water services and fire hydrants on 82nd Ave SE this month. All water service and hydrant replacement should be completed by the end of the month.
- On July 21st, PCI’s concrete contractor will be working on the curb, gutter, and sidewalk restoration on 81st Ave SE.
- On July 28th, PCI will install the final water main connection at the intersection of 82nd Ave SE and 81st Ave SE (near the 2000 block of 82nd Ave SE).
- Currently, the majority of water main trenches are backfilled with crushed rock. A few areas received temporary asphalt patching. When the water work is complete, PCI will restore the roadway pavements with permanent hot mix asphalt patching throughout the project. This work is scheduled to occur on either the 1st or 2nd week of August. Every three years, the City conducts a Pavement Condition Survey to rate the condition of the Island's streets. Survey results help the City prioritize maintenance and capital improvements. Streets are evaluated on criteria such as existing pavement distresses (cracking, wear, settlement, patching), surface condition, subsurface condition, drainage, and average daily traffic volume. The latest survey was completed in 2019. The next survey will be performed in 2022 and will be used for rating all streets in 2023. The water main construction and its associated trench patches may result in an increased priority for repaving these roads based on the next Pavement Condition Survey.
Emergency Update 7/06/21 12:33pm
Water service has been repaired, the water main has been flushed, and service has been restored to the affected residents.
Emergency Update 7/06/21 9:30am
PCI crew accidentally hit an abandoned water service at the 2000 BLK of 82nd AVE SE. The City utility crew will need to throttle down the water main to make repairs. An emergency meter shutoff will affect 30 homes. The homes affected will be notified. Notification will go out when repair has been made and service restored.
Emergency Update 6/30/21 3:45pm
Water service has been repaired, the water main has been flushed, and all services are back on.
Emergency Update 6/30/21 2:30pm
PCI crew accidentally hit a water service at 2229 82nd Ave SE. The City utility crew is doing an emergency meter shutoff to 13 homes (valving isolation area) for the PCI crew to repair. Residents affected were notified after the service break of the emergency water shutoff. Notification will go out when repair has been made and service restored.
See map for the affected area. 
June 24, 2021 Update
- Three (3) new water main connections have been completed along 81st Ave SE and SE 24th St.
- Due to unique water system valving configurations, four (4) homes on SE 24th St between 82nd and 84th Ave SE will be impacted by water main shutdowns on June 24 and 29. Additional notifications will be provided to these residents.
- After June 29, PCI will focus their work on 82nd Ave SE north of SE 24th St. There is approximately 60 feet of water main left to install. In the upcoming weeks, PCI will replace fire hydrants, water services, and other water system components on 82nd Ave SE.
June 10, 2021 Update
This connection has been moved to Friday 6/11
On Thursday 6/10, PCI will connect new water mains at the intersection of N Mercer Way and 81st Ave SE. No water service disruption is expected. However, due to the location of the work area at the NE corner of the intersection, traffic impacts are expected for vehicles traveling on N Mercer Way approaching this intersection and for vehicles turning north onto 81st Ave SE. Traffic control will be provided by PCI.
June 3, 2021 Update
- The contractor, PCI, has installed the majority of new water main on 81st Ave between N Mercer Way and SE 24th St and on SE 24th St between 80th and 82nd Ave SE. In the upcoming weeks, they will install five (5) water main connections to connect new water mains to the existing water mains and install/replace fire hydrants, water services, and other water system components in these areas.
- On Thursday 6/10, PCI will connect new water mains at the intersection of N Mercer Way and 81st Ave SE. No water service disruption is expected. However, due to the location of the work area at the NE corner of the intersection, traffic impacts are expected for vehicles traveling on N Mercer Way approaching this intersection and for vehicles turning north onto 81st Ave SE. Traffic control will be provided by PCI.
- On Tuesday 6/15, a water main shutdown is scheduled to replace a large water service line on 81st Ave SE and to abandon a water main connection at the intersection of N Mercer Way and 81st Ave SE. The eastbound lane on N Mercer Way between 80th Ave SE and Island Crest Way will be closed from 7am to 5pm. This traffic revision is needed to prevent west bound traffic from backing up onto I-90. Signs for detour routes and traffic control will be provided by PCI. Access to the main entrance of Mercer Isle condos will also be impacted while excavation for their service line replacement is underway.
May 17, 2021 Update
- From 5/17 through 5/19, the contractor will be working at the intersection of N Mercer Way and 81st Ave SE to install a new cluster of water valves. They will be working on 81st Ave SE laying pipes after installation of the valve cluster and will continue moving north to SE 24th St.
- While working at the intersection of N Mercer Way and 81st Ave SE, the east bound lane on N Mercer Way between 80th Ave SE and Island Crest Way will be closed from 7am to 5pm on these three days. This traffic revision is needed to prevent west bound traffic from backing up onto I-90. Signs for detour routes and traffic control will be provided by the contractor.
- A water main shutdown is scheduled for Tuesday 5/18 for working on the water main located at N Mercer Way and 81st Ave SE. No water services will be affected by this shutdown. Three (3) fire hydrants in I-90 will be out of service. WSDOT has been noticed.
April 29, 2021 Update
- Contractor’s starting date of construction is being postponed to May 10th due to shortage of pipe supply.
- Street shoulder parking on 81st Ave SE, between SE 24th St and N Mercer Way, will not be available to the public during construction from 5/10/2021 through 8/31/2021. Currently, “No Parking” signs with timeframes for restriction are being placed on site to provide early notice to the public. The “Restricted Parking, Permit Required…” signs will be covered at 7am on Monday May 10th.
April 28, 2021 Update
Construction is anticipated to start on May 3rd and be completed by end of August, 2021.
- Street shoulder parking on 81st Ave SE, between SE 24th St and N Mercer Way, will not be available to the public during construction from May 3, 2021 through August 31, 2021. The new water main will be installed in the vicinity of the parking strip. The contractor will use this area for material storage and equipment parking. “No Parking” signs with timeframes for restriction are being placed on site today to provide early notice to the public. The “Restricted Parking, Permit Required…” signs will be covered at 7am on Monday May 3rd.
- Contractor will be working at the intersection of 81st Ave SE and N Mercer Way one day during the week of May 3rd and on the first 3 days on the week of May 10th to make a new water main connection. Steel plates will be used to cover the water main trenches during this period time. Drivers and pedestrians must take extra precautions when traveling through this area. Traffic delays should be expected.
- The City is coordinating with MI School District on school bus routes and schedule on SE 24th St between 80th and 84th Ave SE to minimize disruptions to children’s pick-ups and drop-offs.
April 13, 2021 Update
Construction Notifications (mailer)
- The construction notification letters were mailed out to residents in the area who may be impacted.
April 8, 2021 Update
City Council Meeting (April 6th), Awarded contract to Pacific Civil & Infrastructure (PCI)
- The construction is anticipated to start later this month and be completed in 17 weeks (in around mid-August).
Bid Award (988 KB) 2021 Water Project FAQ (724 KB) Construction Notification (2 MB) 82nd Ave Emergency Water Shutdown (486 KB)