Water project to start Monday

Work is expected to start Monday on the replacement of the 123-year-old water main underneath Main Street in Portland.

The project, contracted through Watson Excavating of Redkey, will replace the current tapered line with a new, larger line.

Portland Board of Works awarded the contract at its meeting on March 3, with Watson Excavating submitting the low bid at $876,220, with a required completion date of Aug. 31.

“The big thing is ever since we had a water main break in front of the courthouse, we’ve been working to replace our oldest lines,” said Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman. “It’s just one part of our continued improvements and updates to the city infrastructure.”

The project will start at the intersection of Charles and Main streets, moving east on Main Street as the new line is laid. Road closures should be expected on sections of Main Street, one block at a time. Geesaman said while work is being done, residents will still have access to the street at the end of each day.

Once work reaches Middle Street, where Main Street widens, the remainder of the project will only close one side of the street.

Doug Jackson, superintendent of Portland’s water department, said the new line will help improve flow to residents in the area. The current line is 12 inches in diameter near Meridian Street, and tapers down to 4 inches by the time it reaches Charles Street.

“The new line will be 12 inches up to Middle Street, and then 8 inches to Charles Street,” Jackson said. “We’re really increasing the flow down through that area.”

Jackson asked that residents who use Main Street be patient with the project.

“It’s going to be inconvenient for people in that area because the roads will be shut down,” he said. “But give us three or four months and we’ll have a new water main.”