Crabtree Creek project will ease sewer overflows but cause street closures

It runs through the middle of town and collects a lot of water from all over north Raleigh. There are a number of trouble spots where flooding is common. The power of the water can take out bridges, cars and even the city’s sewage pipes.

“Even though our storm water system is separate from our wastewater system, we have times where we get rainwater in the system,” City of Raleigh project manager Eileen Navarrete said.

Navarrete says those overflows are environmental hazards, but now there is a new construction project designed to keep sewage where it belongs.

“We are building a new pipe along Crabtree Creek to help us increase our capacity,” Navarrete said.

Crews will be laying about 21,000 feet of pipe from Capital Boulevard all the way to Crabtree Valley Mall, which means there will be some disruptions.

“This is one of the bigger projects we’ve ever done, definitely,” Navarrete said.

Over the next three years, expect long-term street and greenway closures as crews install the wastewater pipe along Crabtree Creek. Neighbors just inside the Beltline will also hear a lot of construction noise and even some blasting as crews break up rock. The project is expected to cost between $30 and $35 million.

Navarrete says it will be an inconvenience to some but the end result will make it worthwhile.

“Life is going to be better because there are going to be very few, if any, sanitary sewer overflows,” she said.