Updated: Project on Lake Street to span from May through September

Prior to the Village of Owego board meeting held last Monday, SUEZ offered an update on the Lake Street project that will replace aging water lines in the center of the downtown Historic Owego Marketplace district.

According to SUEZ, they have plans to begin the project on May 8, and will be completed with their portion some time in July. Then, NYSEG will begin work with a targeted completion date of Sept. 30, 2017. The two companies will share the cost of road repair.

With merchants from the downtown district in Owego present at the meeting, representatives from SUEZ explained the details of the project, and outlined what the merchants, tenants, and shoppers on Lake Street might expect while the work is being performed.

According to Jeff VanWagenen, SUEZ representative, the street will be closed during the day and reopened at night throughout the duration of the project. The approximate times of the closure are anticipated to be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., five days a week. The street will be opened during the evening and on the weekends.

Gerry Remsen, an engineer for SUEZ, explained that the work will be performed piecemeal, and that trenches will be dug, one at a time, during the pipe replacement process. Although this process will take longer, he explained, it is being done that way to ensure safety and prevent accidents.

As for water interruptions during the scheduled timeframe of the project, Remsen noted that they will be minimal and that temporary water will be connected to a portion of the businesses. The other businesses will continue to utilize the old water line until the new one is connected.

And although the project’s timeframe conflicts with the annual Strawberry Festival, taking place June 16 and 17, organizers continue to move ahead with the planning. The sidewalks on Lake Street will be open during the festival, and their will entertainment in a portion of Lake Street’s Tioga State Investment Services lot. The vendors, however, will have to be spread out into other areas of the downtown district for the festival.

SUEZ is hopeful the project will go out for bid this week.