New Bedford Crews Replacing Aged Pipes Along Coggeshall Street
Construction on Coggeshall Street will be ongoing for several weeks, possibly longer.
Mayor Jon Mitchell says the work is part of an initiative to replace aging underground service lines to prevent further ruptures and increase efficiency. "As we've seen in parts of the North End, we have some very old underground infrastructure. Water pipes, sewage pipes. Some dating all the way back to the 1890's. Some made of wood, some made of clay," said Mitchell.
DPI Commissioner Ron Labelle says the cost to replace water and sewer lines along Coggeshall Street is estimated at over $17 million.
Mitchell says it can be more expensive to replace lines after they've ruptured, making the construction a preventative measure. He adds more work will be done to replace other lines throughout the North End in the coming months.