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Drivers on Mud Street may wonder why there is a new gravel lot on the north side near the dog park that has a construction trailer, bulldozer and backhoe, as there are no signs to indicate what’s going on there.

Those suspecting it signals work that will snarl traffic along that section of Mud this summer are right — although there’s more to it than that.

• Mud Street is being repaved between Isaac Brock Drive and Upper Centennial Parkway as part of a $2.3-million project that will add sidewalks and three street lights on Penny Lane, and a new sidewalk by Mud and Upper Centennial.

• Three traffic islands will also get new irrigation systems.

• The repaving project’s start date has yet to be determined, but traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction, with work expected to be completed by November.

• The gravel lot is for another project that will begin after the repaving is finished and serve as a temporary working area for a “no dig” rehabilitation of the 2.3-kilometre Satellite City trunk sewer between Mud and Quigley Road that passes through Felker’s Falls Conservation Area.

• Constructed in 1974, the concrete sewer is corroding more quickly than expected because of high levels of hydrogen sulfide gas, commonly found in sewers, according to details on the $8-million project on the city’s website.

  • While no explanation is given for the high gas levels, the sewer has been taking leachate from the old Taro west quarry industrial dump since 1993 and the new Taro east quarry industrial dump since 1996.

• The dump leachate exceeds Hamilton’s usual bylaw limit of 1,500 milligrams per litre for sulphates, which can create the corrosive gas.

• The latest Taro annual report shows sulphate concentrations in the operating dump’s leachate ranged from 40 to 6,190 mg/l in 2020, with an average of 202. No range is given for the closed dump, but its leachate had an average sulphate level of 416 mg/l,  or more than double the operating dump's.

• The 900mm-diametre trunk sewer will be cleaned to prepare for installation of a resin tube that will form and harden to the shape of the existing concrete pipe once flushed with hot water or steam .

• A temporary bypass will redirect sewage elsewhere during the work and the new pipe is expected to last more than 80 years. The work area will be restored to its original state once the project is complete.

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