LWSC: Chestnut St. set to reopen Monday

LYNN – Water and Sewer Commission Executive Director Daniel O’Neill said contractors are scheduled to reopen Chestnut Street to through traffic Monday following a summer’s-worth of work that shunted drivers onto Pond and other side streets.”We will be paving today and curbing and sidewalks were done Thursday,” O’Neill said, adding the new road surface binder and pavement will need two days to dry.Water and Sewer is paying Bellingham-based Grove Construction $1.2 million to install equipment designed to keep rainfall from flowing into sewer pipes.The project is part of a bigger initiative by the commission to create separate storm and sewage pipe networks in order to prevent rain water or snow melt from overwhelming the Commercial Street sewage treatment plant’s capacity.Creating a separate storm and sewage pipe network is crucial to helping the Commission meet a 2009 federal deadline for reducing sewage discharges into the ocean.The current project represents a resumption of work halted when the commission fired contractor USFilter in February 2004 for failing to guarantee a performance bond underwriting the firm’s work.Two months earlier, state environmental officials rejected the firm’s proposals for completing storm and sewer separation work in East Lynn.State and federal environmental officials are still reviewing the Commission’s plan, prepared by consultant Camp, Dresser, McKee, to complete storm sewer work downtown and in West Lynn.A key issue in the review is the Commission’s request for permission to back off its commitment to eliminate ocean discharges. Under the $65 million plan for completing the separation work, discharges would be allowed three times a year.Federal and state analysts are determining if the project’s price would drive up water and sewer rates, now set at $8.88 per 100 cubic feet.The current work involves installing devices called rainfall regulators onto underground pipes. Once Chestnut is open, the project’s focus shifts to Sanderson Avenue where the regulator structure separating Stacey Brook from one of the main drain lines is rebuilt.”There will be a significant reduction in waste water flow to the treatment plant and reduction in the frequency and duration of overflow at Kings Beach in Swampscott,” O’Neill said.Grove is also working on a drain located on Groveland Street, a side street, like Sanderson, located off Chatham Street. O’Neill said the Sanderson work should be completed in the week of Oct. 10.The streets will be open to residents and police details will be present for traffic control and safety.Work will take place during the day, Monday through Friday. Construction notices will be hand-delivered to residents advising them of the construction activity and street detours.