Both projects are expected
to continue next week.
AUBURN – Construction work on Auburn Hall and storm sewer work on Main Street bumped Wednesday, with crews from the two projects closing lanes and creating a traffic mess.
Crews from Pizzigalli Construction closed one eastbound lane of Court Street adjacent to Auburn Hall on Monday while they installed precast concrete panels on the new building.
Meanwhile, workers from K and K Excavation were tearing up the pavement along Main Street near Mechanics Row, installing a new storm sewer line. That work closed the northbound lane of Main Street.
At times during rush hour Wednesday morning, eastbound Court Street traffic was backed up past Spring Street.
“We had drivers try to sneak through the red lights and end up blocking the turning traffic,” said Sgt. Robicheau. “That made it much worse than it had to be.”
Drivers who tried to avoid the Court Street work by turning right down Mechanics Row found that route blocked. The city closed the right-hand turn to take pressure off the Main Street sewer work.
Traffic coming from Turner Street was directed down Mechanics Row, however. Flaggers at the Mechanics Row and Main Street intersection had to watch southbound traffic coming from two directions at once.
“That’s the only place I’m having a problem,” said flagger Marc Sharron, positioned at that intersection. Some of the cars heading south on Main Street from Great Falls Plaza don’t see him right away.
“As soon as I see a car make that turn, I’m waving my sign and trying to get their attention,” Sharron said.
The precast panel work on Auburn Hall was scheduled to finish Friday, but Project Manager Steve Pitts said Wednesday’s storm delayed the delivery of some of the panels. Those won’t be made up until early next week.
“So it’ll definitely be Monday, probably Tuesday or Wednesday, before we finish,” Pitts said.
Work on the Main Street sewer line is scheduled to continue through next week as well.
Drivers should avoid the intersection if they can, and Sharron had one other piece of advice:
“Pay attention to the flaggers,” he said.
staylor@sunjournal.com
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