Baseline watermain installation going well

By Karen Keefe

Senior Contributing Writer

The ongoing installation of watermains on Baseline Road is going according to plan, is on schedule and is not causing too much delay, said the town’s assistant municipal engineer, Chris Dann.

The project will ultimately span Baseline from Bush to Alvin roads and is part of Town of Grand Island water infrastructure improvements. There is one lane of travel in the construction area during the work day. The completion date is uncertain.

“They’re close. They are just south of Staley now,” Dann said. The project to install approximately 12,600 linear feet of 16-inch watermain is being done to support the needs of the Grand Island community, according to the town’s website. The contractor is Milherst Construction.

“They’re moving along quite nicely – haven’t really run into any issues. For the most part, the residents have been really good,” Dann said. Cleaning out of the ditch along the west side of the roadway has been very beneficial for nearby residents, he added.

“We handle all our own infrastructure for water and wastewater,” Dann said, although Baseline is county-owned. He explained that many other municipalities deal with the Erie County water or sewer departments for that kind of work.