The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mission almost accomplished
Community’s government leaders pleased with progress on East Street project
A major project that is intended to solve sewer and water main problems on a section of East Street in Fairport Harbor Village should be completed by early next month.
Woodford Excavating of Leavittsburg started working July 27 to enhance the operation of storm and sanitary sewers and water mains located on East Street between Sixth and New Fourth streets.
“It is going pretty well,” said village Engineer Clyde Hadden, as he assessed the status of the project during the Aug. 18 meeting of Village Council
Late last year, council accepted the bid of Woodford Excavating to complete a list of infrastructure improvements on East Street for $473,757.
Although Woodford initially was scheduled to begin work at the site in early April, the company postponed those plans because of health and safety risks created by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Woodford instead kicked off the project in late July, and so far has completed point repairs, as required, to the existing sanitary sewer, sanitary laterals and sanitary manholes in the targeted portion of East Street.
Last week, the company also wrapped up repairs and strategic replacement of failing storm sewers in the same area. About 1,200 feet of original storm sewers that are 10 inches and 12 inches in diameter were replaced with 24- and 30inch sewers.
“This will greatly increase the stormwater management capabilities of this system,” village Administrator Amy Cossick said last year, after council awarded the project contract to Woodford.
Cossick noted that undersized storm sewers had been responsible for street flooding in the area.
Woodford crews are focusing their attention this week on strategic water main and valve replacements as warranted, Cossick said in an Aug. 24 email.
The new water mains and valves will help improve water flow and reduce future maintenance costs for these parts of the water system in the project area.
As the excavating company aims to meet an anticipated project completion date of Sept. 7, they also are drawing praise from Village Council members and administrators. Councilman Tony Bertone said the company has been very organized in carrying out its work on East Street.
“Even with the shutdown of the traffic flow, I don’t think it’s impacted the village very much,” he said. Mayor Tim Manross said the East Street infrastructure project “has been many, many years in the making,” and he’s glad to see that it’s almost finished.
“It should alleviate a lot of problems in that general area for many years to come,” he said.