In an update on Aug. 15, the city said the pipe repair at El Cerrito and Magnolia avenues is now complete and the hole has been backfilled. Sidewalk and roadway restoration remains to be done.
EBMUD said in an email on Friday that, starting Saturday, Aug. 12, traffic would be affected near El Cerrito and Magnolia avenues as the utility works to repair a ‘”serious” leak in a critical water pipeline.
The city says the problem was first discovered in late July, after receiving reports of a water leak at El Cerrito and Magnolia. Public Works crews removed a street tree above the leak location in order to allow EBMUD to investigate the issue.
Portions of El Cerrito and Magnolia avenues immediately around the leak will be closed to traffic while crews excavate the intersection:
• Magnolia Avenue will be closed to traffic at El Cerrito Avenue. Traffic will be detoured onto El Cerrito Avenue and San Carlos Avenue.
• El Cerrito Avenue westbound will be closed immediately adjacent to the El Cerrito/Magnolia intersection. Traffic on El Cerrito Avenue between Oakland and Magnolia avenues will be detoured to San Carlos and Hillside avenues.
According to EBMUD, the Sequoia Aqueduct pipeline supplies water to the southern part of its service area, from Oakland down to Castro Valley. The aqueduct was built in 1928 after the completion of the Pardee Dam. At 48 inches in diameter, it is one of the largest pipes in EBMUD’s service system.
The city says it will post updates on this project on its website HERE.