Saugus water main project progressing ahead of schedule

SAUGUS – Town Manager Scott Crabtree said progress is well ahead of schedule on the month-old, $2.8 million water main project on Route 1 north in Saugus.But the fast pace of the work isn?t the only positive development with the project. Crabtree also said Tuesday the roughly $800,000 grant that had been tied up in the state legislature finally came through, this time under a MORE jobs grant through the Office of Housing and Economic Development.?We finally got the signatures in place and it was processed quickly so there won?t be any delays,” said Crabtree. “There was a glitch so to speak that you couldn?t use the grant for utilities ? We went this route with the MORE grant application and the developer signed on that they?re creating permanent jobs, which is true so they can create jobs with the infrastructure.”The water main project was slated to be completed in November, but Crabtree said workers are about “two weeks” from completing the $2 million portion, which is funded through state aid. Securing the MORE grant means there won?t be any delay with the rest of the project, said Crabtree.?If they didn?t secure the grant at this point they would have packed up and left and then have to come back when we were able to secure the other funds,” said Crabtree. “They were so ahead of schedule we were under a time crunch to resolve the issue. This is fantastic for Saugus to be able to move forward with the problematic water infrastructure.”Crabtree also thanked state Sens. Thomas McGee (D-Lynn) and Sal N. DiDomenico (D-Everett) along with state Reps. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) and Kathi-Anne Reinstein (D-Revere) for helping secure the grant.?They set up a whole meeting with these folks from the Office of Housing and Economic Development when we had the problem,” said Crabtree. “They?ve been instrumental in assisting us the whole way.”According to interim Department of Public Works Director James Waugh, the project runs from the Main Street on-ramp to Home Depot, which is about a mile. To date, workers have reached the entrance to Fuddrucker?s, said Waugh, which is about a quarter-of-a-mile north.?The contractor is doing very well,” said Waugh. “They still have quite a bit of work left, but they are ahead of schedule. They?ve gotten more production than they thought they could get. The amount of rock within the trench was a little bit better and easier digging than they anticipated.”Once the main line is installed, Waugh said existing businesses will have their services tied in while the old main will be capped and abandoned.Waugh also said he hasn?t received any complaints about service interruptions or traffic even though the right travel lane has been closed at night.?It?s a tricky project because they?re actually working in the roadway installing a new pipe beside an old pipe,” said Waugh. “Sometimes things happen and the old pipe breaks. Knock on wood.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].