NORWICH – Construction and renovation is well underway on Maple Street and despite unexpected and costly setbacks, city officials say work thus far is still under budget and ahead of schedule.

City workers and NYSEG employees set out to make extensive renovations to Maple Street earlier this summer. Plans were laid out to repair the deteriorating roadway, restore curbs and sidewalks and replace rotting gas, sewer and water mains – a project that originally came with an estimated price tag of $500,000 for work, materials and services. It’s a big undertaking, explained Department of Public Works Superintendent Carl Ivarson, but a necessary measure to restore some of the city’s deteriorating infrastructure.

Workers were slowed down in July, when concrete was found under the previous roadbed. Sample cores were drilled prior to the start of road work and no concrete was found; however, after a full dig, concrete was revealed and must be removed to prevent damage to the newly paved road in the future, said Ivarson. In all, the removal process actually saves the city $7,000 in construction costs, he went on to say, but the process also calls for more pavement than what was originally estimated, leading to an increased cost in material that sets the city back an additional $23,000.