Highway 11, just north of Lumberton, MS is an alternate Evacuation Route that runs parallel to Interstate 59. This vital highway is essential in getting coastal residents evacuated during times of voluntary and mandatory evacuations. Long plagued by inadequate drainage, the Highway floods during times of rain resulting in the closure of this vital evacuation route when it is most needed. During winter rains, water stands on the roadway and freezes, causing an icy nightmare for the local division to keep open. During a 2010 winter rain event, two Department of Transportation Employees were fatally involved an accident due to the standing water and icy conditions.

As this section of roadway lies in a valley, the only way to get the water to drain was to install a 48” drainage line at depths of twenty-four (24’) feet. Given the safety considerations and time that this would take, the Department of Transportation designed the job for the deepest section of pipe to be a horizontal bore. S J & L was hired by John G. Walton Construction to install the 700 LF of 48” Diameter Steel Pipe via horizontal bore. Given the ground conditions, we were able to complete this bore in a single push, making it the longest bore that we have ever completed. Project Foreman Steve Nipper and Boring Foreman John Hamner were instrumental in assuring that this bore was completed safely and on time.

When Mobile Area Water & Sewer Authority (“MAWSS”) wanted to install an additional twenty (20”) inch water main to Pinto Island, an area known for its ship building and port activities, S J & L was chosen to perform this work. As Pinto Island is on the east side of the Mobile River and the pumping stations are on the west side of the river, the most direct route was to install the new main beneath the channel bottom of the river. The decision to install the new main via a directional bore was made due to the environmentally sensitive nature of Mobile River coupled with the fact that it is the only entrance to the Port of Mobile and is heavily traveled by cargo ships, the cruise line and numerous barges, which precluded an open cut approach. S J & L performed a 1,903 foot directional bore ranging in depth from five (5’) feet on each end to 150’ at its deepest point, which was one hundred (100’) feet below the river bottom.

Over the years, Mobile Infirmary, Mobile’s largest hospital, has expanded along with the growth of the City. Unable for the existing gravity sewer to handle the increased flow during peak periods and storm events, Mobile Area Water & Sewer Authority (“MAWSS”) decided to install a lift station at the north end of the property and run a dedicated force main to the interceptor line to combat these flows. S J & L was chosen to perform this work which included a directional bore beneath Three-Mile Creek, an eight (8’) foot diameter lift station twenty-four (24’) feet in depth and 142 LF of 24” ductile iron pipe to re-route the existing sewer system. In addition to working on the bank of the environmentally sensitive creek and dealing with significant groundwater, S J & L had to by-pass the existing eighteen (18”) sewer main while performing our work.