Posted on November 18, 2025
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — More than 100,000 San Juan residents kept their drinking water flowing in late October when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Caribbean District relocated a critical 30‑inch water main — a milestone in Puerto Rico’s massive Río Puerto Nuevo Flood Risk Management Project (RPN). By timing the work with an emergency shutdown already underway by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA), engineers avoided a separate disruption to the city’s supply while advancing construction on the Roosevelt Avenue Bridge.
The relocation clears the way for replacement of the Roosevelt Avenue Bridge and for deepening and widening the Río Piedras, key elements of the broader flood risk management project. The effort required close coordination among the Corps, PRASA, and multiple contractors to ensure the island’s critical infrastructure remained secure while construction advanced.
Humberto Rodriguez, the project manager overseeing the Roosevelt Avenue Bridge replacement, said this operation was a critical part of the overall success of the contract. “Our close coordination with PRASA and our construction contractor team was key to strategically completing the water main relocation on time, while ensuring minimal disruption to the residents who rely on the aqueduct system for water,” he said.
Rodriguez noted the replacement of the water line also means “another new piece of infrastructure for the citizens of San Juan. ”Existing water lines in the area are more than 50 years old and any opportunity to replace lines, valves and other key components reduces risk of disruptions in the future. “Each relocation not only clears the way for flood risk reduction, but also upgrades aging infrastructure,” he said. “This strengthening of the overall water system improves long-term resilience within the project footprint.”
RPN Program Manager Jose Bilbao credited the success of the water main relocation to extensive coordination among the Caribbean District’s Construction Division, Project Management, PRASA, and the construction contractor. He emphasized that strategic scheduling kept the project on track and ensured the shutdown did not affect the overall critical path.
“Aligning our shutdown with the PRASA’s ongoing super aqueduct repair window was key to minimizing additional service disruptions,” he said. “Thanks to our team’s adaptability and coordination with PRASA, we completed the relocation overnight with minimal impact to PRASA’s customers.”
Bilbao also acknowledged the hard work of the team members who played pivotal roles in ensuring the relocation’s success, including Rodriguez, Axel Collazo, Anibal Mercado, Santiago Garcia and Lennie Gonzalez-Roman, saying each contributed their expertise in planning, execution, and coordination, which was critical to meeting the project’s objectives.
About the RPN Project
Launched in the 1980s, the RPN Project is a multi-segment initiative aimed at reducing flood risk and improving infrastructure for more than 250,000 residents in the San Juan metropolitan area.
The next major segment of the RPN project is slated to begin in 2026, focusing on deepening and widening key sections of the Río Piedras main channel, and upgrading utilities in flood-prone neighborhoods.
The Army Corps of Engineers Caribbean District redirects a major water main to support flood risk reduction efforts in San Juan as part of the Río Puerto Nuevo Flood Risk Management Project. The next steps in the project include deepening and widening the Río Piedras channel and upgrading utilities in flood-prone neighborhoods beginning in 2026, improving long-term resilience for more than 250,000 residents.
Crews redirect a 30-inch water main as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Caribbean District’ Río Puerto Nuevo Flood Risk Management Project in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The relocation clears the way for the Roosevelt Avenue Bridge replacement and future work to deepen and widen the Río Piedras channel, improving flood protection and upgrading aging infrastructure for thousands of residents in San Juan.
