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Oroville Dam Work Spillway Work On Target To Meet Nov. 1 Deadline

OROVILLE (CBS13) — Concrete placement on the Oroville Dam spillway is likely to meet the Nov. 1 public safety construction deadline despite some setbacks, the California Department of Water Resources said on Wednesday.

One of the slabs in the middle chute of the spillway needed to be replaced earlier this month due to hot weather and high winds affecting its surface. That slab is one of 221 that have been placed on the spillway through the work process and DWR doesn't expect that to affect the schedule.

RELATED: Oroville Dam Repairs Surge To $1.1 Billion

That middle chute is 95 percent compete as crews place slabs and walls on the chute. Only seven slabs remain and all 76 walls have been placed. The upper chute is 76 percent complete with 108 of 150 slabs and 14 of 50 walls placed.

The Nov. 1 deadline isn't for all work. Work will continue on the emergency spillway past that date, and concrete curing, joint sealing and sidewall backfill will continue on the main spillway.

One-way traffic controls from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. are scheduled to continue on Oro Dam Boulevard between Glen Drive and Canyon Drive while the underground transmission line project continues. That's slated to end in mid-October.

Earlier this month, the cost of the project crossed the $1 billion threshold as unexpected excavation projects were found. The plan calls for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for 75 percent of the repairs, with water project customers bearing the final 25 percent. FEMA has not said whether or not it would cover those costs.

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