NORTHAMPTON — Motorists should expect delays along Conz Street beginning Friday as a state road reconstruction project involving a new roundabout gets underway.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has hired Gomes Construction of Ludlow for the project, which is scheduled for completion at the end of 2017. The company bid $2.2 million on the project.
The work involves constructing a roundabout at Conz and Pleasant streets, as well as new sidewalks, the relocation and replacement of gas and water lines and new streetlights.
On Friday, crews will begin removing sidewalk on Conz Street from the area near Fulton Avenue to the Quality Inn & Suites to prepare for gas line work. The sidewalk removal is expected to last a day. The gas line work by Columbia Gas is scheduled to begin Monday and last several weeks, according to the city.
The general work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and through traffic will be maintained in the construction zone, according to David Valeta, an engineer for the city’s Department of Public Works. No lane closings for one-way traffic will occur during the morning and evening rush hours and there will be no detours.
Once gas line work is complete, the area will be prepared for construction with road reconfiguration and base asphalt scheduled for completion by the end of the 2016 road construction season.
Water line replacement from Wright Avenue to the other side of the Connecticut River levee that cuts across Pleasant Street will follow the gas line work before the road reconstruction occurs. The water line work is expected to take approximately one month, according to Valeta.
The project calls for completing curbing, sidewalks, driveways, lighting, landscaping, paving, striping and sign installation through 2017.
Electronic billboards also will be installed to notify motorists of traffic delays and the city’s DPW will post weekly construction updates on its department blog at ntondpw.blogspot.com/.
Dan Crowley can be reached at dcrowley@gazettenet.com.