A collapsed pipe beneath the intersection of Bayview Street and Wankinco Avenue has delayed the start of sewer improvements in Swifts Beach.

Water Pollution Control Facility Director Guy Campinha told Wareham Sewer Commissioners on Thursday that it will cost an estimated $30,000 to fix the pipe. Campinha said the damage was discovered during a scheduled inspection.

The pipe must be fixed immediately before a large improvement project that will reline pipes in the neighborhood can begin, said Campinha. He noted an 11-foot section of pipe is broken 16 feet below the surface.

Announced in July, the project will reinforce sewer pipes beneath Bayview Street and Wankinquoah Avenue, which are cracked, leaking and in danger of failing, said Campinha.

The project will be done in stages with pipe sections being repaired in stretches between manhole covers. Campinha said the work will be done with as little disruption to residents as possible. Street closings will be minimized and sewer service will be shut off to residents adjacent to construction for a day, two days at most in some cases.

The project is estimated to cost $199,000. It will be paid for with funds from the sewer department's budget.