Harbor Place construction site during demolition.
Plans for daytime traffic closures beginning this week on Merrimack Street, for water main replacement work near the Harbor Place construction project, are postponed.
City officials were told a scheduling problem with a subcontractor means the water main work and related traffic/street closures will be delayed, according to Haverhill Economic Development and Planning Director William Pillsbury Jr.
“A new date to commence with work has not been set but it is believed to be in the near future,” Pillsbury said Monday in a statement. “Additional notice will be provided prior to any work commencing so that the proper arrangements relative to traffic adjustments can be made with a minimal amount of disruption.”
Last week, Pillsbury announced Harbor Place contractor Dellbrook Construction was to start a four-week water main replacement project Monday. Plans called for 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday closures of Merrimack Street from through traffic between How Street and Main Street, “while maintaining access for local businesses only as well as access to the parking garage and Pentucket Bank drive thru.”
“These closures are necessitated by the installation of water lines and related utilities in the street,” Pillsbury said. “We have held extensive discussions between the city departments and the contractor to minimize the impacts but this work must be done and there will be significant disruptions. All efforts will be made to ensure local traffic including truck deliveries to local businesses and banks during the entire period.”
Tim Coco….Can you please ask Mr. Pillsbury if their were fines and penalties negotiated into this contract against contractors in a situation like this? It is standard language in construction contracts.
With Pillsbury stating that he has no idea when work will resume it’s fair to say no fines or penalties are being imposed or else Dellbrook Construction would be hustling to get back on the job. It seems with this scheduling conflict Dellbrook has chosen to work at the other party involved instead of Haverhill, because most likely they would be fined/penalized by the other party if they worked on the HP project instead. With no fines/penalties written into the contract it is pretty much open ended on when Dellbrook will be back at work.
All those good union jobs sitting idle….what a shame, huh Mr. Taxman?