The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by the New Canaan Racquet Club.
New Canaan officials said last week that they are optimistic that the majority of paving on South Avenue can be completed before students return to school, though the timeline depends on the successful testing of the newly installed Aquarion water main.
During a Department of Public Works update at the Aug. 4 Board of Selectmen meeting, Public Works Director Tiger Mann said Aquarion has finished installing the new water pipe, which is now being filled, chlorinated and tested. If the line passes testing, the town plans to move quickly into the paving phase.
“We’re hoping to shift and put Waters [Construction] in its place and start paving before school starts so we can get a couple of weeks of long days in and hopefully get the majority of the work done before school starts,” Mann said at the meeting, held in Town Hall and via videoconference.
Mann cautioned that the schedule remains contingent on the water main passing pressure testing. If a leak is discovered, crews would have to excavate and repair the affected section before paving could begin.
“I’m hoping by the end of the week I’ll know more,” Mann said, noting that the testing process takes several days.
If everything proceeds as planned, Mann said the project would be running about two weeks ahead of its original schedule. The water main installation had initially been expected to continue until just before the start of school, but an earlier completion would allow paving crews to work during the weeks leading up to the first day of classes rather than waiting.
“Assuming it works out, it’s much better than it was,” Mann said. “If they can get in the week after next and the week after that, they get two weeks of extra paving in versus having to wait until mid-September and going into November.”
Officials said they expect to have a much clearer picture of the schedule by the Board of Selectmen’s next meeting once testing is completed.