NORWICH – Over the last week, traffic on Rt. 12 in Norwich has slowed to a crawl due to two separate construction areas located within a five-mile stretch.

The two construction sites include a county project, taking place on Rt. 12 near the Halfway House Bridge, and a state project, taking place on South Broad Street.

County Director of Public Works Randy Gibbon explained that the county project involves work on both the east and west side of Rt. 12. Vehicle lanes have been narrowed, but Gibbon explained that through traffic was still able to go through both ways. “We will keep the road open,” Gibbon said. The county project is being done by Tioga Construction and will probably continue for a couple of weeks.

Inside the City of Norwich, New York State Transportation is repairing manholes along South Broad Street. City of Norwich Superintendent of Public Works Carl Ivarson said there have been problems with the manholes since they were first done two years ago. The manholes sank in the road, Ivarson said, and after receiving letters from the city, the state intended to do the repair project last year, but due to the 2006 flooding, the time frame for the repairs was pushed back.