(Feb. 23, 2017) An apparent equipment mix-up and a shortage of asphalt have further delayed stormwater improvements on Flower Street, and full or partial road closures will likely continue for another few weeks at least.
During a Town Council meeting last Monday, Water Resources and Public Works Director Jane Kreiter said construction could wrap “hopefully [in] the next two weeks.”
One of the issues was with installation of gabion baskets, which help control erosion.
“It’s my understanding that the gabions arrived last week, but they’re the wrong ones,” Kreiter said. “We’re seeing what we can do.”
Installation of the gabions started last Thursday.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience. It’s been quite a project, to say the least,” Kreiter said.
Town Administrator Laura Allen said installation of the gabions would continue through this week, but another issue — the lack of asphalt to repair the roads — caused the project to hit an additional snag.
“The asphalt plants have closed until March 1,” Allen said last Friday. “We’re working with the contractor to get the road open as soon as possible, perhaps with just a base layer, if getting ahold of asphalt is a challenge.
“Timing is everything on these projects. The weather has presented some challenges, but we’re working through them,” Allen continued.
When work on Flower Street wraps, the town will next move onto stormwater projects on William Street, and then on Graham, Grice and Nelson streets.
Allen said preplanning had already started on William Street, and that grants from FEMA and the Department of Natural Resources had already been obtained to pay for that work.
The town used about $800,000 in funding from the Community Development Block Grant program for the offline wetland and culvert installation on Flower Street, Allen said.