I-694 Watermain Crossing

A critical 24-inch trunk watermain serving the City of Brooklyn Center crossed beneath one of the Twin Cities’ most constrained freeway corridors, where I-94, I-694, MN 100, and MN 252 converge. The aging, bent spun steel pipe had been lowered decades earlier during freeway construction and sat deep below retaining and sound walls. In early 2023, a failure confirmed the growing risk: water flooded to the surface and froze on a freeway ramp, creating an immediate hazard to motorists and underscoring the danger of another break beneath this high-traffic interchange.

Bolton & Menk led a rigorous, safety-first alternatives analysis to identify the lowest-risk, most reliable solution for this complex location. After evaluating multiple trenchless and excavation methods, we recommended cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) rehabilitation. This approach preserved the existing alignment, avoided deep excavation near sensitive infrastructure, and met hydraulic and fire flow requirements while allowing freeway traffic to remain open throughout construction.

Completed in November 2024, the rehabilitated watermain now provides an estimated 50 to 75 years of reliable service. The project dramatically reduced the risk of future freeway flooding or icing, safeguarded motorists and workers, and ensured dependable water and fire protection for surrounding neighborhoods without closing a single lane of interstate traffic.