NORWAY – It’s best to avoid Beal Street.

And there’s no choice about Winter Street and Pine Street; they’re closed.

That is, at least during the daytime.

“People are going to have to change their mind-set,” said Town Manager David Holt. “Use Main Street.”

A crew from K&K Excavation of Turner is laying sewer pipe on Winter Street and according to David MacDonald, town site inspector, they will be working on Winter and Beal streets until “the plants stop making hot top.”

MacDonald, who oversaw the Lake Road project and was Norway Water District superintendent for 35 years, said K&K is now replacing a sewer pipe running down the center of Winter Street. He said they probably have 75 feet left to lay to the center of the intersection of Beal, Tucker and Winter streets.

They will then lay pipe back to a manhole near Tucker Street and down Beal Street attempting to get as close to Lovejoy Lane (near Flanders Electric) as they can.

Holt said that sections of Beal Street will be closed as needed during this period.

MacDonald said the work is slow just by its nature. A crew digs around a section of sewer pipe to be replaced and inserts a steel trench box to surround it. The “box” keeps the side walls from caving in on the workers.

The section of road dug up to begin the day has to be filled in at day’s end.

Holt said that closing the roads makes it safer for crews working there.

Beal and Winter streets are open to nighttime traffic.

The final Beal Street project, including water and sewer lines, new sidewalks and new bridge won’t be complete until the fall of 2004.

MacDonald said K&K would be bringing another crew to the area in November to work on installing a sewer line from the mainline to the houses on Winter Street.

Pine Street is also closed to traffic as K&K has a deadline to meet.

MacDonald said the sewer line has to be in by the end of the construction season this year, since all the residents are using septic systems.

Traffic became congested early Monday morning when Department of Transportation workers were hot paving streets and driveways that intersect Paris Street. MacDonald said the work was done to smooth the intersection of those spaces with the road.

Traffic was reduced to one lane.

Road Commissioner Ron Springer said the DOT had a couple days of work left to complete painting the crosswalks and school zone areas on Main Street.

“The inconvenience caused by the state project should be just about over,” Holt said. “There’s still going to be a lot of digging and a lot of inconvenience. The end result is the roads, sewer and water lines and sidewalks are going to be better.

“If anyone has difficulty with the project I’d like them to call me,” he said.

jsmedley@sunjournal.com

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