Building a Pipeline

After seven years of political battling, construction of the controversial Pacific Pipeline begins in earnest Monday. If all goes as planned, the new pipeline should be carrying crude oil under the Los Angeles Basin by next spring.

The 132-mile pipeline generally follows the Golden State Freeway from Kern County to the San Fernando Valley, then runs along the Union Pacific Railroad right of way until it reaches refineries in El Segundo, Wilmington and Long Beach.

The Los Angeles City Council initially opposed the project, with opponents arguing the pipeline cuts through some of the area’s poorest communities. Some on the council also questioned the wisdom of building the line near aqueducts and reservoirs in Sylmar that contain 75% of the city’s water supply.

“A classic case of environmental injustice” is what Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon once called the pipeline.

Supporters countered that the pipeline will use state-of-the-art technology to monitor its operation and would eliminate 25,000 round-trip oil-truck trips each year.

In January, a Superior Court judge gave the pipeline owners power of eminent domain to build the project under city streets. The council appealed but settled in April after the city attorney’s office told council members that further legal challenges would probably fail.

PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION

Backhoes will first dig a trench that will house the pipeline. Pieces of the pipeline will be welded together on site, with all welds X-rayed to ensure there are no cracks. Once the pipeline passes safety inspections, fiber optics cable lines will be laid two feet above the pipeline. Information about the pipeline will be relayed via fiber optics to location near Dodger Stadium that will be staffed 24 hours a day. Other fiber optics lines will be used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and to enhance the city’s 911 emergency system. The trench will then be filled and the street re-paved.

PIPELINE ROUTE

Pacific Pipeline officials say they will bore under streets in such a way that no roads will need to be completely closed. There will be some lane closures and detours lasting from hours to days, said Pacific Pipeline spokesman Charles McLean. Residents and motorists can expect increased truck traffic and additional noise near the construction areas.

Schedules will be published in newspaper ads, and notices will be placed at homes and businesses within 300 feet of the pipeline.

Construction in residential areas will be limited to daytime, while work in industrial areas of Los Angeles will probably be done at night.

Segment details are shown below; Segment 1 was not detailed.

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Segment 2

Length: 41 miles

Construction start date: Began July 7

Route: Starts at the northwest boundary of Angeles National Forest. Runs to a point near Templin Highway, then continues to parallel the Golden State Freeway to Sylmar.

Lane closures expected through construction: Single lane closures on Castaic Road and The Old Road, with traffic flagged around construction.

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Segment 3

Length: 25 miles

Construction start date: Monday

Route: Begins in Sylmar and continues southeast along the Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific) Railroad right of way to Taylor Yard on northern edge of downtown.

Lane closures expected through construction: Along San Fernando Road, near Balboa Boulevard, in Sylmar. Road will remain open, but traffic will be flagged around construction. At various points, there will be single-lane closures on the northbound side of San Fernando Road as construction proceeds south.

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Segment 4

Length: 21 miles

Construction start date: Mid-August

Route: Starts near Dodger Stadium and runs south along Alameda Street to Lynwood, then west along East Santa Ana Boulevard and East 108th Street to the Union Pacific Railroad right of way. Route parallels the railroad to the El Segundo Refinery.

Lane closures expected through construction: On Spring Street, near Union Station, although Spring Street will remain open. In addition, there will be various lane closures on Alameda Street.

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Segment 5

Length: 11 miles

Construction start date: Began mid-July

Route: Begins in Lynwood along Alameda Street, continues south to refineries in Wilmington and Long Beach.

Lane closures expected through construction: Work near Henry Ford Avenue and Anaheim Street will be done at night. Some on- and offramps on the Harbor Freeway may experience delays.

Pipeline facts

* Length of pipeline: 132 miles.

* Target completion date: late March. Operational about a month later.

* Rate of construction: 300 to 500 feet a day in urban areas; 800 to 1,500 feet a day in rural areas.

* Cost: $170 million, including $50 million in construction payroll.

* Safety features: Pipeline checked three times every second for pressure, temperature, flow and seismic motion, with information relayed via fiber-optic cable running above the pipeline to a location near downtown Los Angeles staffed by 24-hour crews. Shut-off valves located about every two miles, with a fail-safe shutdown system in case of power outage.

* Earthquake safety: Pumps shut off at a 6.0-magnitude earthquake or greater. Slack in pipe provides extra flexibility during earthquake.

* Diameter of pipeline: 20 inches; two inches larger than a standard basketball hoop.

* Depth: 5 feet; deeper in areas where it crosses rivers and the California Aqueduct.

* Volume: 130,000 barrels of crude oil daily.

* Time for one barrel to travel from Kern County to El Segundo/Wilmington: 2 days.

* Temperature of oil traveling through pipeline in Valley: 120 to 170 degrees, depending on type of oil.

* Speed of oil flow: 2 to 3 mph.

* Pipeline owner: Anschutz Corp.

Sources: Pacific Pipeline System Inc., Pacific Pipeline Project environmental impact statement; researched by STEPHANIE STASSEL / Los Angeles Times