Fridley advances $667,000 sewer lining project in Melody Manor neighborhood

The Fridley City Council has approved a $667,000 sanitary sewer lining project in the Melody Manor neighborhood, moving forward with a long term strategy aimed at preserving the city’s aging underground infrastructure while limiting disruption to residents.

The project is designed to extend the service life of existing sanitary sewer mains and reduce the likelihood of backups, leaks, and costly emergency repairs. City planning documents show that this work is part of Fridley’s broader infrastructure preservation program, which prioritizes rehabilitation of older systems rather than full replacement when feasible.

Targeted investment in Melody Manor

The sewer lining work will focus specifically on the Melody Manor neighborhood, an area also included in Fridley’s Street Rehabilitation Project ST2026 01. City officials frequently coordinate sewer and street projects within the same construction window, allowing underground improvements to be completed before surface streets are rehabilitated. This coordinated approach helps minimize repeated construction impacts on residents and reduces overall project costs.

Much of Fridley’s sanitary sewer system was installed between the late 1950s and the 1970s and is primarily composed of vitrified clay pipe. While durable, this material is susceptible to cracking, joint separation, and root intrusion as it ages. Rather than excavating and replacing these pipes, the city has increasingly turned to rehabilitation methods that can significantly extend their lifespan.

Trenchless sewer lining method

The Melody Manor project will use a trenchless rehabilitation technique commonly known as cured in place pipe lining, or CIPP. This method is widely used by municipalities across Minnesota and the United States as a cost effective alternative to traditional dig and replace sewer work.

Under the CIPP process, sewer mains are first thoroughly cleaned to remove debris and tree roots. A flexible liner saturated with epoxy resin is then inserted into the existing pipe through manholes or access points. Heat or ultraviolet light is used to cure the resin, forming a new, seamless pipe inside the old one. Robotic equipment is later used to reopen connections to individual home sewer laterals.

City engineering reports indicate that CIPP liners are corrosion resistant, help prevent future root intrusion, and can extend the life of rehabilitated sewer pipes by 50 years or more.

Part of a long term infrastructure strategy

Fridley officials have emphasized that sewer lining projects are a key component of the city’s long range infrastructure management plan. Recent Public Works reporting shows that similar lining efforts have already rehabilitated multiple miles of sewer pipe citywide, reducing groundwater infiltration and improving system reliability.

The Melody Manor sewer lining project represents a continuation of that strategy, allowing the city to preserve essential infrastructure, control costs, and limit neighborhood disruption while preparing streets and utilities for decades of future use.

Construction scheduling and resident notifications are expected to be released closer to the start of work, which is anticipated to coincide with other planned infrastructure improvements in the area during the 2026 construction season.

MinneapoliMedia