Docklands flushed with success
While construction continues to reach for the sky, our team has been working 10 metres below the ground to extend the major sewer serving the area to cope with the demand from the extra workers, residents and visitors.
The existing Dudley Street Branch Sewer dates back to around the turn of the 20th century, and was built to support not only Melbourne’s working docks but also serve the inner western and northern suburbs.
To cater for future development of the area, a section of Dudley Street Branch Sewer south of Bourke Street is being replaced with a new, larger sewer and the section of sewer upstream is being relined.
The new 430 metre length of sewer will run along Waterview Walk and Batmans Hill Drive, crossing Collins Street and Wurundjeri Way.
It will allow the existing sewer, which runs through the Kangan Batman TAFE, to be decommissioned, giving the TAFE opportunity to further develop the site.
Since March, contractors have been excavating a number of three metre wide by 10 metre deep shafts along the path of the new sewer.
These shafts will be used to install the 600mm diameter sewer pipes with the latest in laser guided, tunnel boring technology.
Melbourne Water is also working to replace the 110-year old, 2.4 kilometre Melbourne Main Sewer, linking parts of the CBD and Docklands to the Hobsons Bay trunk sewer, which then carries the waste water to Werribee for treatment.
These works are major urban infrastructure projects which will ensure the city’s sewer network can cope with future growth, particularly in the Docklands precinct which is estimated to be home to around 20,000 residents by 2020. The project is expected to be completed by December 2008.