Construction operations have continued despite the weather. The weather conditions were warm enough and dry enough to allow for a shift in the traffic pattern on February 8th. Traffic marking paint can only be placed on dry, warm pavement.
All traffic is now on the north side of West Main Street from Ridge Avenue to Elm Street. The majority of work items are now completed on the north side. This traffic shift will now allow for operations on the south side of Main Street in this section. New storm sewer installations will be the first item of work on the south side. The contractor will continue to work on replacing storm sewers, removing sidewalk and curb along the south side in order to prepare for the wider street and new infrastructure. East of Adams Street, the contractor will continue to work towards downtown with replacing sidewalk and final grading the tree lawn.
All sidewalk and concrete restoration is complete on the north side of West Main Street around Dorset Road. The utility duct bank contractor will be switching to the south side of West Main Street in close proximity to South Lane and will begin installing their buried conduits in the ground towards the east.
Conduit installation is an important part of this phase of the project. Conduits are plastic and sometimes metal pipes that are placed a minimum of 24 inches underground. They can be 4, 3, or 2 inches in diameter depending on the type of wire they will contain. The proper type and size of wire is pulled through these conduits when they are fully completed underground. These conduits will contain communication lines for internet providers and telephone communications. Electric companies will use these conduits. They are used to power the traffic signals and all the associated pedestrian crossings systems. The power for the lighting system is in these conduits. Electrical outlets will be provided in the downtown area to be utilized during public events. Multiple conduits banded together is referred to as a “duct bank”, in which each individual conduit carries a separate utility.
For more information, submit your question via email to: MainStImprovements@primeeng.com. Upcoming road closures can be viewed here.