A section of what is usually a busy thoroughfare in Vancouver has fully reopened — roughly eight months later.
Terminal Avenue's eastbound lanes between Québec and Main streets reopened late Friday, Feb. 28, as crews completed a bypass system in response to a sewer main leak from June 2024.
Corrosion in a 26-year-old pipe "likely caused the sewage leak," a City of Vancouver statement explained, adding the failure was unexpected.
"Investigations to determine the cause of the corrosion are ongoing and results will help guide the design of permanent repairs," the city said, noting sewer infrastructure typically can last 100 years.
Meanwhile, traffic flow has returned to normal for the 100-block of Terminal Avenue, including for pedestrians coming to and from Main Street-Science World Station.
An above-ground sewer bypass system was implemented in response to the leak that would direct sewage around the damaged pipe.
Geotechnical engineers described the process as "complex" as the leak was close to third-party infrastructure and is impacted by tidal conditions.
"The extended closure of Terminal Avenue eastbound was required to investigate the potential causes of the failure and to assess and address any soil stability issues caused by the leaking pipe," the city's statement added.
Permanent repairs for the damaged pipes under Terminal Avenue are in the works for later this year.
