BERLIN – Motorists can expect road closures on Flower Street in Berlin next week as repairs are made.
Jamey Latchum, the town’s water resources director, said he expected a small section of road near 513 Flower Street to be closed Monday as crews repaired what they believed was a damaged sewer line. The length and date of the closure, however, will depend on weather and the specifics of the repair that needs to be made.
“I’m hoping we can have it excavated and done in a day,” he said. “That’s our goal.”
The town council on Monday voted unanimously to approve a contract for $11,753 with Goody Hill Groundwork for the project. Though other companies were contacted, they indicated they were too busy to take on the project.
“The challenge is you put these things out to bid and you really want to get at least three proposals but sometimes that’s not feasible,” Town Administrator Laura Allen said. “This time of year is challenging because people are busy.”
She added that the town had worked with Goody Hill previously and had a good relationship with the company.
While officials hope the project will be a quick one, Allen stressed that the weather and other factors could affect the timeline.
“We think it’s some kind of sewer collapse but we’re not sure,” she said. “The road will need to be closed for an unspecified period of time.”
She said the issue came to the attention of Latchum’s department after motorists began noticing a dip in the road. The sewer line in that area runs right down the center of the street.
“It’s a depression,” Allen said. “You can see it in the road.”
Councilman Elroy Brittingham, who lives on Flower Street, said he was eager to see the work completed as he had heard concerns about the dip in the road.
“A lot of people traveling that street are starting to complain,” he said.
Allen said the town would issue a CodeRED, the town’s emergency notification system, to alert to residents in the area so they’d be aware of the closure. Latchum said he was also in communication with local fire and law enforcement to advise them of the upcoming closure.
