Students who live west of campus might soon be able to sleep in without interruptions from bulldozers and jackhammers, as mainline sewer construction should end for the year by Nov. 30.
The last stages of the Long Range Sewer Improvement Program, which debuted 16 years ago and has cost the city about $190 million, should be complete citywide by September 2008.
The current phase of the sewer improvement program impacts areas west of campus such as Sherman Avenue between Emerson and Simpson streets, Foster Street between Orrington Avenue and Sheridan Road, and Orrington from Garrett Place to Noyes Street, according to a city pamphlet released in September.
The project was initiated to repair the about 100-year-old Evanston sewage system to eliminate basement sewage backup, reduce street flooding and pollution and rehabilitate existing sewers.
Gerald Rosario, the resident manager of MWH Americas, the soil- and water-remediation company in charge of the project, said if weather permits, construction on Sherman Avenue will be finished this week.
“We’re going to attempt to restore those streets before Thanksgiving,” he said. “It’s a hard push, but we’re going to try to do it.”
Rosario said the construction needs to be finished by Nov. 30 because streets need to be prepared for the snow plowing season.
In addition, with the completion of construction, parking on currently closed streets will be reopened. Closed streets are lined with “no-parking” signs that detail the hours and dates during which parked cars can be towed.
“It is not my intent to leave any of the no-parking zones up over Thanksgiving,” Rosario said. “We’re going to do our best to help people enjoy their holidays.”
The construction project has inconvenienced many Northwestern students, including first-year graduate student Lisa Quanz.
Quanz lives in Englehart Hall, NU’s graduate student housing complex at the corner of Emerson Street and Maple Avenue. The area surrounding the building has been under construction throughout Fall Quarter.
“(The construction) is a huge hassle,” she said. “Every morning it starts at 7 a.m., so forget sleeping in. … Every morning it affects me walking to class.”
Quanz said broken sidewalks, large holes in the ground and bulky construction equipment have confused pedestrians and drivers.
In addition, dust rising from construction sites has raised concerns about students’ health, Quanz said.
Aryst Kirsch, who owns Café Mud, 1936 Maple Ave., said he is anxious for the construction to end.
“Business has slowed down tremendously (since the construction),” he said. “It’s a burden also because a lot of dust is coming in and there’s a lot of loud equipment.”
Kirsch said construction makes it difficult to walk down the sidewalk near his café.
While the mainline construction should finish before Thanksgiving, Rosario said MWH is applying to work on another project during the winter.
“There’s a small possibility of working on Emerson and Sherman,” he said.
If the company’s petition passes, large construction vehicles might again be an early morning wake-up for many off-campus students.
Reach Liz Coffin-Karlin at
