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Town says Coventry High School sewer work is underway; detour and safety plans outlined
Summary
Assistant town manager gave a construction update on the Coventry High School sewer project: 160 linear feet completed on Tioga Avenue, a river bypass installed, temporary water services to be placed, a Nov—Dec detour through Wood Estates and a winter pause; staff said daily pumping costs are about $900 and a prior $620,000 has been spent on pumping at the school.
Town staff told the Coventry Town Council that work on the Coventry High School sewer connection is progressing and that residents should expect a temporary detour and close coordination with school officials during construction.
Assistant town manager Maria Broadbent said crews have completed roughly 160 linear feet of sewer pipe on Tioga Avenue and installed a bypass to cross the stream at the site. "We've now finished about a 160 linear feet of the sewer line construction on Tioga Avenue," she said, and described sediment and erosion controls already in place.
Broadbent said Kent County Water is partnering to install temporary water services on Reservoir Road to avoid digging twice and to enable a quicker spring restart. She warned of a planned detour through Wood Estates for November through December; construction will pause for winter and resume in early April, with paving planned the following August after trenches settle. "If there's a safety issue, we will address it," she said.
Council members pressed for safety measures during school peak hours. Councilman Brown urged a detail on Route 3 at peak times and called for proactive enforcement: "The day they put the detour in place, I think we need a detail in place during those peak hours because that's a very busy road." Several members suggested police or traffic details during peak drop-off and pick-up and discussed temporary enforcement rather than speed humps, which the town said it generally does not install because of snow-removal and emergency-response impacts.
Broadbent said the project has federal congressional-directed funding coordinated through Senator Reed's office and confirmed town costs are being covered through that source and other grants. She told the council the town has spent roughly $620,000 on ongoing pumping at the school and that pumping costs are about $900 a day.
Council members asked staff to continue coordinating with school officials, the police chief and neighborhood representatives, and to provide advance notice to affected streets. Staff said they will invite the school to progress meetings and share detour and safety plans prior to construction milestones.
