EBMUD repair work at El Cerrito and Magnolia
Posted on 08/11/2023

EBMUD repair work and road closure at El Cerrito & Magnolia Avenues

Published July 20, 2023 | Updated August 21, 2023

UPDATE

EBMUD has completed the pipeline repairs and and backfilled the hole. Crews continue to work on sidewalk and roadway restoration.

East Bay MUD (EBMUD) has informed the City that they will be conducting emergency repair work this Saturday, August 12 to address the water leak at El Cerrito and Magnolia Avenues. Work is expected to begin at 8am and last for approximately 12 hours.

Portions of El Cerrito and Magnolia Avenues immediately around the leak will be closed to traffic while crews excavate the intersection:

  • Magnolia Avenue will be closed to traffic at El Cerrito Avenue. Traffic will be detoured onto El Cerrito Avenue and San Carlos Avenue.
  • El Cerrito Avenue westbound will be closed immediately adjacent to the El Cerrito/Magnolia intersection. Traffic on El Cerrito Avenue between Oakland and Magnolia Avenues will be detoured to San Carlos and Hillside Avenues.

EBMUD expects to restore full roadway access by Sunday morning. Water service for area residents should continue as normal during the repairs.

Background

In late July, EBMUD became aware of a serious leak on the Sequoia Aqueduct, located beneath El Cerrito Avenue and Magnolia Avenue in Piedmont. The Sequoia Aqueduct is a critical 48” pipeline that supplies water to several cities in the area, from Oakland extending to Castro Valley. EBMUD crews have been actively working at the site to pinpoint the source of the leak, plan the repair, and to ensure the continuous supply of water to EBMUD customers.

On Saturday, August 12, EBMUD crews will dewater the aqueduct and excavate at the Magnolia/El Cerrito intersection. After the excavation, repairs are expected to take 2-3 weeks. Traffic control and pedestrian detours will be required during this period, but further full road closures are not expected to occur.

Project Updates

City staff will continue to coordinate with EBMUD and will post project updates on this page as they become available.