The City of Miami Beach prioritized its 41st Street Water Main Replacement project to replace aging water main and increase water supply to customers. Navigating multiple permitting departments, four nearby projects, and a congested utility corridor, Wade Trim led a comprehensive team that helped the City upsize 1,200 linear feet of water main along the bustling 41st Street and crossing the Indian Creek Waterway via open-cut and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) construction. This important project was recently honored by the Florida Chapter of the American Public Works Association as a Public Works Project of the Year in the Water/Wastewater ($2 million – $5 million) category.
Located 10 miles east of the Miami International Airport, the project’s location in a very heavy tourism area along 41st Street—one of the few access points to the beach—and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) right of way made it a highly visible effort. An existing 16-inch cast iron water main from Pine Tree Drive to Collins Avenue that was attached to the 41st Street Bridge was replaced with a new, 20-inch HDPE water main that runs under the waterway. Both the east and west ends of the pipe were installed via open-cut construction, tying to the existing water main on Collins Avenue and Pine Tree Drive. HDD design was chosen early on due to multiple separate projects that were either planned to follow or underway during the water main replacement on 41st Street, most notably the FDOT-led 41st Street Bridge Rehabilitation. Running the water main line under the channel also provided for future corrosion protection—the previous line attached to the bridge was deteriorating faster due to exposure to saltwater.
Stakeholder coordination and permitting were extensive to stay within federal, local, and state requirements and prepare for projects on the City’s horizon. Ongoing water main replacement projects needed to tie into the new 41st Street water main, and numerous upcoming projects required the water main to be complete. Public engagement was also essential during construction to maintain access to residents, businesses, tourist destinations, and emergency vehicles through Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) zones.
Members of the project team and the City of Miami Beach accepted the APWA Florida Chapter Project of the Year award on April 30 in Orlando, Florida. From left: Shari Ramirez, PE (Wade Trim); Cate Thompson, PE (APWA Florida Chapter President-Elect); Bradford Kaine (Miami Beach Interim Public Works Director); Freddy Betancourt, PE (Wade Trim).
