In an emergency session Monday, the Hamlet City Council decided to go ahead and replace more than 300 feet of sewer line on Hwy. 74 near Boyd Lake Road after it collapsed last week.

Contractors, the NCDOT and employees with the City of Hamlet thought they’d mended the situation Friday afternoon, but as of Monday morning, the line started leaking again. The area is near the overpass on Hwy. 74 and stretches down to Boyd Lake Road from Raleigh Street,

“I feel this is the right decision,” said Hamlet Mayor Jeff Smart.

The cement, gravity flow piping underneath the high profile traffic area collapsed last week due most likely to the age of the pipe and the saturation of the cement, Smart said.

The city plans to replace the old pipes with plastic ones.

“It’s not like clearing up the road in front of your house,” Smart said. “It’s a high profile area.”

The city is still in the bidding process with contractors over how much the overall project will cost, according to Marchell Adams-David, Hamlet city manager.

A sewer improvement grant will help, although the city may have to match a portion.

“There may be a small match with the complete cost with little out-of-pocket money,” David said.

The city council was on-board with the idea of replacing 300 with new pipe, instead of simply fixing the old pipe.

“We’re taking the necessary precautions,” Smart said. “There are no EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) concerns.”

Sewage has been pumped away from the line under Hwy. 74 and all that runs through the area is water and dirt, according to David.

Traffic is being diverted down Hamlet Avenue for the duration of the work which should take roughly two weeks, according to city officials.

David and her staff will contact business owners to give them warning of the increase in traffic.

Staff writer Bryan Stewart can be reached at 997-3111 ext. 154 or by e-mail at bstewart@yourdailyjournal.com.