NORWICH — The City of Norwich water main replacement project is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 12.

Department of Public Works (DPW) Superintendent Ed Pepe said, as required by the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT), the work will be completed overnight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday through Thursday each week.

"The DOT is requiring us to work nights for anything under traffic lights. So all that is going to be night work until at least I think they get past American Ave. So we’re going to be starting at night, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday through Thursday," he explained. "That first section is probably going to take a couple weeks. That’s probably the most challenging section of the project. So we’ll get that out of there first and then we’ll be in good shape."

The project will begin on East Main Street near the City of Norwich Police Department, then will work its way west to the Main Street and Broad Street intersection, before working along South Broad Street, from approximately the Prentice and Broad Street intersection to the Mechanic and Broad Street intersection.

Message boards have been placed on North Broad Street and on Route 12 near Speedway alerting residents to the construction work. Additionally, leaflets will be distributed to residents and business owners in the construction area as the contractor is nearing their residence or place of business.

Additionally, Pepe said a section of American Avenue will be closed to allow for the storage of excavators.

The project is being completed by Vacri Construction Corporation, a contractor based in Binghamton. The deadline for project completion is August 31.

Following the water main replacement, the DOT will be repaving East Main Street and South Broad Street. Repaving on East Main Street is scheduled to begin in September, followed by South Broad Street.

Pepe said sidewalk replacement on the two roads must be completed first before repaving can begin, and long lead times on granite curbing could lead completion of the South Broad Street repaving to be delayed until 2024.

"They’re doing all the sidewalk first. So they have to do all that work first and then they're going to move to the paving," said Pepe. "There’s a long lead time on granite curbing. That’s one of the biggest lead times [where] I’ve been having problems. It’s all granite curbing on Main Street and Broad Street."

"They won’t be able to get to South Broad possibly late this year, but it’ll have to finish next year," he added. "The contractor would like to get everything done this year, obviously."

In the event of a delay, however, he said the DOT has already committed to ensuring Broad Street will be improved with appropriate driving conditions to last through the winter.

For updates on the water main replacement project and East Main and South Broad Street repaving, visit the City of Norwich, New York Facebook page.