Sewer Replacement Project Causes Unexpected Delays on Route 4 in Farmington

From the Town Manager’s Office

The town is conducting a night time sewer replacement project along Route 4 for a section of sanitary sewer main along Farmington Avenue (Route 4) that begins just west of Garden Street and ends at Mountain Spring Road. The contractor is required to work nights beginning at 8:00 PM and ending at 5:00 AM. Alternating one-way traffic is expected during these hours.

Two unexpected situations have recently occurred that have required the contractor to work beyond his standard working period. During the evening of Friday May 8, 2015, a safety related surface condition was noted that required the town to immediately shut down one lane of traffic. Crews were sent out as soon as possible and repairs were made immediately. All existing lanes were reopened as soon as the repairs were made.

The second event occurred during the early hours of Tuesday May 12th, when a sewer pipe failed underground and emergency repairs were needed. When the failure was noted, the construction company was immediately reassigned to restoring all lanes of traffic as soon as possible. Farmington Police were also called to the site to assist in managing the flow of traffic and the traffic lights. These repairs were not able to be complete until after 8:00 am which delayed the opening of the road.

Exasperating the backups that resulted from these construction activities were unrelated motor vehicle accidents along Route 4.

The town is sensitive that these unexpected delays were very disruptive but they were unavoidable. In these situations, the safety of the public and the construction workers is critical and had to be addressed immediately, which resulted in daytime lane closures. The town is hopeful that these types of delays will be limited throughout the duration of the project.