Collapsed Sewer Closes Intersection
By John Zornow

Village crews under the direction of Operations Manager Jim Bridgeman worked from early Saturday afternoon until late Sunday to repair a collapsed sewer lateral on the corner of West Union St. and South Main St. Troubles had been reported Saturday morning by the Corner Tavern. All during this time traffic had to be re-routed to West Miller St., or West Shore Blvd.

Aided by mild weather, the crews had to dig twenty feet into the roadway to find the lateral which ran into the sewer main. Incorrect records from the 1970's Urban Renewal era hampered the repair effort. A crew from Jamko Technical Solutions, headquartered on Driving Park Avenue, was brought in to televise the sewer line in an effort to find the problem.

What they found- Crews discovered that years of grease and harsh solvents used to clear drains had eaten away at the sewer lateral, causing it to collapse. In addition, workmen, along with Mayor Blandino and village board members were shocked to see that old abandoned utilities, long assumed to have been removed during the urban renewal reconstruction of Union St. were still buried, including piping, conduit, and wires.

By late Sunday afternoon the sewer lateral had been replaced, the excavation filled , a temporary patch placed over the area, and the intersection was re-opened.

There was minimal disruption to area business, according to Mayor Blandino, who credited all concerned with excellent cooperation during the emergency. Blandino singled out Bridgeman and his crews for their dedication to the job at hand in working quickly and safely to make repairs.

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