Date: Fri 20-Oct-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

sewers-Main-St-DOT

Full Text:

State DOT Sets Some Conditions For Sub-Street Sewer Option

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Although the state Department of Transportation (DOT) prefers that sewer lines

to serve the east side of Main Street be located in the backyards of houses

there, DOT officials have explained what steps the town would have to take to

place the sewer lines beneath the northbound lane of that street.

"The DOT neither endorsed nor rejected either the frontyard (sewer route) or

(substreet route)," according to the notes of Michael Anderson, of Fuss and

O'Neill, Inc, the town's consulting engineers for the ongoing sewering

project.

"The DOT prefers the backyard route alternative as it does not impact their

(Main Street) right-of-way. After a discussion, the DOT staff present

understand that there are some very serious limitations to the viability of

this option," according to Mr Anderson's notes.

Mr Anderson's notes reflect what happened at an October 2 engineering meeting

among representatives of Fuss and O'Neill, the town, and the DOT. The meeting

was held at DOT's Thomaston offices so that Fuss and O'Neill could learn about

the DOT's requirements for a substreet sewer route. The session was closed to

the public and press.

Where sewers are placed on the east side of Main Street has been a

controversial issue since the spring of 1994.

Initially, members of the town's Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA)

planned to install sewers beneath Main Street. After learning the DOT doesn't

favor substreet routes, WPCA members decided to install the sewers beneath the

frontyards of homes. But the Borough Board of Burgesses protested, saying such

a placement would damage the stately trees on the east side of the street. So,

WPCA members opted to install the sewers beneath the backyards there. But,

several months ago, some residents who oppose a backyard placement protested.

The WPCA then decided to place the sewers in the frontyards. Yet more protests

followed that move, with residents calling for the placement of the sewers

beneath the street. A separate sewer line will serve the west side of Main

Street.

Currently, the WPCA plans to install sewer lines in the frontyards on the east

side of the street, but is considering a substreet sewer placement in light of

public opinion on the matter.

Conditions

Mr Anderson noted the various restrictions and conditions the DOT would place

on the town were the DOT to allow the town to install sewers beneath Main

Street, which also is known as State Route 25.

These conditions include:

The DOT wants a disclaimer that would hold it harmless in the event that trees

are damaged when sewer hookup lines are extended from sewer mains to

individual houses. DOT officials belive that tree damage is possible during

sewer hookup line installation whether sewer mains are installed beneath Main

Street or beaneath frontyards.

The DOT recommends that the town consider the use of directional drilling for

sewer line installation wherever such construction technique is appropriate.

Unlike vertical drilling such as water well drilling, directional drilling

creates small horizontal tunnels into which sewer lines are installed.

Directional drilling is done to limit tree damage caused by sewer

installation.

For excavation work beneath the north lane of Main Street, existing subsurface

concrete would have to be removed out to the road's centerline.

The approximately 10-inch-thick existing concrete road base and its bituminous

overlay would have to be replaced with layers of bituminous concrete.

The excavated sewer trench in the road would have to be backfilled with a

"flowable fill" or "slurry mix" of sand and concrete that can be re-excavated

with a backhoe in the future, if needed.

The DOT requires uniformed police officers on duty for traffic control on

state roads while sewer construction is underway.

To maintain safe traffic flow, the DOT requires that there be a 22-foot

minimum road width for two-lane traffic while construction is underway. If the

road width is less than 22 feet, alternating traffic ytaffic flow would be

needed.

DOT offcials didn't say whether they would require temporary repaving to be

done on a daily basis or weekly basis after sewer installation work.

The DOT would require the town to reconstruct and repave the northbound lane

of the street from the road's centerline to the road's edge in areas where the

sewer is installed beneath the street.

The town would have to perfoirm soil compaction testing in areas requested by

the DOT.

If the town wants to detour Route 25 traffic through the Fairfield Hills

grounds to lessen traffic flow on Main Street during sewer construction, it

would have to seek approval for such rerouting from the State Traffic

Commission.

The town should check the Main Street area to learn where abandoned utility

lines are located.

The town's questions about state funding for road repairs should be directed

to the DOT's construction division.

Fuss and O'Neill plans to use the information to develop cost estimates for

such work. It is thought that installing sewers beneath the street would be

more expsnsive than installing them beneath frontyards.

The sewer route which the town eventually decides to pusue will be submitted

to the DOT for its review.

Directional Drilling

At an October 12 meeting, WPCA members discussed where sewer lines to serve

the east side of Main Street should be positioned.

Peter Grose, who is Fuss and O'Neill's mamanegr for the sewering project, said

he met with representatives of Hemlock Directional Drillers to learn how

directional drilling could be used for sewer line installation. Mr Grose noted

the drilling company said such a construction method could be used in the

sewering project, according to WPCA records.

Mr Grose told WPCA members theat directional drilling to install sewers in the

frontyards of properties on the east side of Main Street might be the least

expensive construction trechnique to install sewers in that area. Fuss and

O'Neill plans to further study the directional drilling.

The engineering company would use the technique to limit damage to the roots

of trees that line the east side of the street.