To replace aging water main, increase capacity, and prepare for future infrastructure improvements, the City of Miami Beach completed the 41st Street Water Main Replacement project. Wade Trim served as prime designer, leading a team of subconsultants in geotechnical, survey, utility, and maintenance of traffic (MOT). Navigating 10 permitting departments, four nearby projects, and a congested utility corridor, the project team helped the City upsize 1,200 LF of water main along 41st Street and across the Indian Creek Waterway. The Cuban-American Association of Civil Engineers (CAACE) honored the water main replacement as Project of the Year (Category I – Under $10 million) on October 12 at its Annual Engineers Day Gala at Jungle Island in Miami.

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 20-inch HDPE water main under the Indian Creek Waterway. The east and west tie-in points used open-cut construction. Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) was used to cross the waterway. Located 10 miles east of the Miami International Airport, the project site is a high tourism area within FDOT right-of-way (ROW) that offers one of few beach access points. Key design challenges included a compound curve HDD alignment due to the ROW limitations and multiple potential utility conflicts. Additionally, the HDD profile navigated a challenging soil-rock interface, while simultaneously aligning with the bridge and avoiding existing bridge substructure and pilings.

Maintaining site access for residents, tourists, and emergency vehicles was paramount during construction. This required tight staging, drilling, and pipe-fusing areas at either end of the project, along with night work for the pipe pullback operation located within 200 feet of the beach. Permitting was facilitated through multiple departments from FDOT, USACE, RER, and FDEP. Stakeholder coordination and permitting were extensive to avoid concurrent projects; stay within federal, local, and state requirements; and prepare for projects on the City’s horizon. While separate ongoing water main replacement projects needed to tie into the new 41st Street water main, upcoming projects that require the water main to be complete include the FDOT 41st Street Bridge Rehabilitation, resurfacing and rehabilitation of Collins Avenue and Indian Creek Drive, and Miami Beach’s 41st Street Beautification of landscaping and hardscape improvements.

Wade Trim project members Shari Ramirez, PE, ENV SP (fifth from left), and Salome Montoya, PE, ENV SP (fourth from left), accepted the Project of the Year award from CAACE executive board members at the organization’s Annual Engineers Day Gala. They were joined by representatives from construction engineering and inspection subconsultant CES Consultants and contractor Quality Enterprises USA.