Wilson Street to be closed during the day
Closure may last as long as two weeks, depending on weather
POTTSTOWN >> People who use Wilson Street to cut across the north end of the borough may get a surprise as early as Tuesday morning.
The road will be closed for as long as two weeks to install new water and sewer lines between North Hanover and North Charlotte streets, Public Works Director Doug Yerger said Monday.
Traffic will be detoured
north to Prospect Street to make the journey between Hanover and Charlotte, he said.
Also complicating driving around the borough, is an emergency gas main repair PECO is conducting at King and Evans streets; and work on Farmington Avenue between East and Willow streets that may get underway as soon as Thursday, said Yerger.
The work on Wilson Street will take the longest and will depend on weather and how quickly the crew from Doli Construction completes work now underway on Prospect Street, where the installation of new piping is wrapping up.
The water and sewer work is part of the Pottstown Borough Authority’s multi-million-dollar fiveyear capital plan, which includes work to replace older lines that in many cases are decades old and more likely to rupture.
Two smaller water mains beneath Wilson Street between North Charlotte and Logan streets will be replaced by one eight-inch main and moved to the opposite side of the street, said Yerger.
Because there is also a gas main and fiber optic cable conduits beneath the street, it’s necessary to close the road entirely to give the equipment room to maneuver for the meticulous work, he said.
Also, sewer work on Spruce Street both north and south of Wilson Street will be facilitated by the road closure, said Yerger.
The crews will work 12hour shifts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. four days a week, Monday through Thursday, and the closure of Wilson Street will follow the same pattern, unless weather prevents work on any given day. In that case, the road may also be closed on any given Friday as well, he said.
Reduced Speed Limits
Its not just construction projects slowing traffic in the borough. The speed limit has been reduced to 25 miles per hour on a number of streets for a number of reasons.
Here is the list of those reasons as posted on the borough web site:
• Industrial Highway, between Moser Road and Hanover Street, will be reconstructed to accommodate the Montgomery County Schuylkill River Trail Extension Project. With the reconstructed roadway, a speed reduction is necessary.
• High Street, between Madison and the east borough line, as well as Jackson Street, between Adams and Beech Streets, are being reduced as part of the Walk and Bike Pottstown Project.
• West King Street, between Manatawny Street and Route 100, is being reduced due to a reduction in lanes and installation of a pedestrian crossing.
• Manatawny Street, between King and the northwest borough line, is being reduced for traffic safety and pedestrian traffic around the Fountain of Youth Spray Park at Memorial Park.
• North Charlotte Street, between Beech and Mervine Streets, and State Street, between Manatawny Street and the north borough line, are being reduced to improve traffic safety in these areas.