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Sewer work plugs up traffic Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Melissa Simpson, 10, and Richola Tipler, 9, make their way through a congested construction site along Pine Street near Mae Richardson Elementary School in Central Point on Friday. Work to replace an aging sewer line will continue for at least another week, officials said Friday. Central Point residents upset over lack of communication By Jill Briskey CENTRAL POINT � Residents along portions of West Pine Street face at least one more week of noise and traffic delays as crews work to install a new sewer line. According to Bear Creek Valley Sanitary Authority Manager Chuck Root, the $87,000 project is almost finished. "We�re replacing an old flat line," Root said, adding that the new, 869-foot pipe will improve water flows. The project has been in the works for "a couple of years," Root said. Two years ago, Root said, BCVSA officials began meeting with city officials to discuss replacing the line. "The line had collapsed in the past and short stretches were replaced," Root said. "It needed to be done." Crews began work in the beginning of February. Root said portions of the roadway in front of Mae Richardson Elementary School were dug up first. Crews filled in the completed sections, steadily moving west. Homeowners living along West Pine Street weren�t informed of the project. Root said BCVSA didn�t feel it was necessary since crews would work between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., a time when most people aren�t at home. "I can understand that people would be upset," he said. "We regret inconveniencing folks." Mae Richardson Elementary Principal Kathy Tompkins said BCVSA should have notified the school regarding the construction. "It would have been nice," she said. "It was difficult to get the buses in and out." Tompkins said flaggers at the site have worked with Mae Richardson�s crossing guards during the construction. The intersection of Pine and Haskell streets near the school is a busy one, she added, and Tompkins is glad to hear the project will wrap up soon. School officials even had to contact Central Point police at one point, Tompkins said. Drivers would try to use the school parking lot to avoid the construction. "We�re always cautious. It�s been a lot harder," she said. "At one point, it was hard for the kids to walk." "It�s kind of scary," 10-year-old Crystal Prinslow said while walking home from school Friday. Prinslow, along with dozens of other students, must skirt the construction daily before and after school. "It�s real noisy." Harold Backhoe Service, a Medford company specializing in pipeline construction, was contracted to complete the project. "It�s been going real well," owner Harold Hurd said. "You always have one or two complaints because it�s an inconvenience." Hurd said his employees have worked hard to keep the wait minimal for motorists. Crews close off Pine Street for a "few minutes at a time" and then allow traffic flow to continue, one lane at a time, Hurd added. When the line is installed, Root said crews will repave the affected areas. "The paving can be iffy, depending on the weather," Root said. "I can�t set a firm date when everything will be completed." The completion date won�t come soon enough for J.C. Caughie, who is angry she wasn�t notified about the project. "They should be required to tell us," Caughie, a Pine Street resident added. In addition to traffic delays, several residents expressed frustration over the noise. During the week, work crews laid down metal slats over holes in the road when they finished for the day. Caughie said all night long, vehicles traveling over those slats created a very loud noise. "I don�t enjoy hearing loud, thundering noises every night," she said. Dawna Ballinger, another Pine Street resident, agreed. "It�s been crazy for two weeks," Ballinger said, who was also upset she wasn�t informed about the work. "You could hear that sound all night long. Every time a car drives over it, it sounded like someone was knocking on my door and I�d get up and go check." Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.