McWane Ductile was proud to conclude a new and exciting river crossing project in January. Partnering with Massachusetts distributors F.W. Webb and Heavy Highway/Marine Contractor SPS N.E., the river crossing project will join the cities of Saugus and Lynn with a Massachusetts Water Resources Authority waterline interconnection.
Over three years, McWane Ductile Senior Sales Representative Jeff Houser, Technical Services Specialist Cory Humphreys and National Product Engineer Ken Rickvalsky met for several pre-construction meetings.
"From the first meeting in late March 2022 to the final installation in early 2025 the collaboration between McWane Ductile staff and SPS contracting was crucial in ensuring a successful crossing," Houser said.
The strength and durability of Ductile iron pipe make it an excellent choice for the severe winter conditions the area can experience and the longevity required to maintain this freshwater connection.
The project included 576' of 16" and 342' of 20" TR Flex Push on Boltless Restrained Joint Pipe, and 54' of 20" MJ Pipe, all Class 52 DCL, and zinc and seal coated exterior pipe manufactured by McWane Ductile Ohio. In addition, the pipeline was specified to be fully encased in V-Bio Enhanced Poly Encasement.
The final installation was completed on January 25, 2025 by floating the 20" and 16" pipe into the waterway and slowly filling the pipeline with water so it sank evenly into a previously dredged trench 8 feet below the river bottom.
The choreography of several skilled tradespeople, equipment and materials in less than perfect conditions monitored under the watchful eye of Rickvalsky made for a successful installation. Clearly the selection of resilient, sustainable Ductile iron pipe was a key factor in the success of this project.