Binkley & Barfield | DCCM provided final design and construction phase services for 7,400 linear feet of 108-inch water transmission line from Aldine Westfield Road to Willis Street in City of Houston-owned easements inside the North Sam Houston Parkway. Since the project was in an urban region, Binkley & Barfield | DCCM worked closely with the existing utilities to develop utility conflict documents and support their relocation. The design also included construction phasing and traffic control to maintain access to residences, facilities, and emergency services. The water line was a significant transmission main constructed via open-cut and tunneling methods. This project was part of the City of Houston’s work to meet the Harris Galveston Subsidence District’s 2025 50 percent surface water mandate. It is Binkley & Barfield | DCCM’s latest project in a long history of working on large-diameter water line projects for the City of Houston.

Project challenges included the water line design’s complexity because of the pipe’s considerable size and the constraints imposed by the limited easement area. It was important to collaborate closely with the City of Houston and its Program Manager to follow the program design standard, requiring constant communication throughout the project’s duration. In addition, the design phase involved creating multiple tunnels spanning various landscapes, including businesses, parking lots, and existing pipelines, ensuring structural integrity and functionality. We also had to coordinate with a pipeline company about the implementation of a trenchless crossing to navigate their aging infrastructure.