PROSPECT — Work has begun on a water main project on Route 69 that will service the new elementary school to be built on New Haven Road.
Prospect Mayor Robert Chatfield received a letter from the state’s Department of Public Health on July 17 saying the project has been cleared and work can start.
John J. Brennan Construction Co. of Shelton was the lowest bidder to install the approximately 2,000 feet of water line, coming in at $348,628. The other bids ranged from $567,106 to $405,720.
Last Thursday, workers with the company saw cut the roadway at the intersection of Coer and New Haven roads. On Monday the company began installing a 12-inch water main on the east side of Route 69.
The water main will start at the driveway of Algonquin Elementary School on Coer Road then make its way to the site of the soon-to-be-built Prospect Elementary School at 75 New Haven Road, Chatfield said.
The project also calls for installing two hydrants, one at the school driveway and one at Coer Road.
The 12-inch main will tie into an existing 16-inch main that leads to a water tank off Putting Green Lane, the mayor said.
Depending on rock and ledge, it will take three to four weeks to complete, Chatfield said.
Since this line will connect to the new school, Region 16, which oversees schools in Beacon Falls and Prospect, will pay for 45 percent of the cost out of money bonded for the school project. The town will pay for the other 55 percent through a grant.
The water main project is being funded with help from a $480,000 grant from the state Department of Public Health.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3) helped the town secure the grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2010, Chatfield said.
On Monday afternoon, DeLauro visited Prospect to talk with town and school officials about the water main and school projects.
About two weeks after the water main is installed, Yankee Gas Co. will install a gas main in the same right-of-way to service the school, he said.
Chatfield also said the cost of paving the road is included in the bid, and that cost will depend on how much ledge is found and how much paving will be required. The cost will be split among the parties involved, he said.
Chatfield said Route 69 will remain open during the project, but people can expect lane closures at times. Two officers will direct traffic during construction, and motorists are asked to use caution when navigating that section of road, he said.
Chatfield said he’s hopeful both lines can be in by the end of the summer
“The goal for us and Yankee Gas is to be done before Labor Day because when school starts up it doubles traffic in town,” Chatfield said.
The Republican American contributed to this article.
It would be helpful to include a graphic from Google Maps to show exactly where you’re talking about on things like this