Placer County Water Agency details pipeline replacement that will require lane closures on Highway 49

Placer County Water Agency engineers briefed the Auburn City Council on June 1 about a pipeline replacement project that will affect Highway 49 and adjacent streets.

Jordan Jacobson, an associate engineer with PCWA, described the Fuller-to-Garfield project as a reliability upgrade for water mains installed between 1950 and 1967. The work includes upsizing a short segment to 12 inches, installing the main in an encasement across Highway 49, replacing one fire hydrant, reconnecting 12 service meters (one residential), and resurfacing about 32,375 square feet of pavement where trenches are opened.

"These mains were installed between 1950 and 1967," Jacobson said. "We're upsizing the highway crossing to 12 inches in a 24-inch encasement to anticipate future development and reduce maintenance needs within the Caltrans right-of-way." He said work within Highway 49 will be limited to night operations and that roadway resurfacing is scheduled for 2027 after construction.

PCWA staff said they expect to open bids on June 22 and anticipate major construction mobilization between October and November 2026, with the bulk of work through late winter and completion in spring 2027. Service outages for commercial meters will be scheduled outside business hours where possible; residential outages will occur during daytime hours and are not expected to exceed eight hours or happen on consecutive days without notice.

Council members asked about the amount of residential outages (PCWA said only one of the 12 affected meters is residential), the material choices (12-inch ductile iron and 8-inch PVC), and the plan to abandon existing pipe in place; PCWA said coordination with city public-works staff will address risks associated with leaving abandoned infrastructure underground.

PCWA said outreach will include door hangers, automated phone calls, website updates, Nextdoor posts and news releases, and that contractors will be required to submit Caltrans traffic-control plans and to use flaggers and staging to limit lane closures.