Phase II of Plainfield’s Old Town construction set to start

Plainfield — Phase II of the Old Town Utility Improvements project in Plainfield is slated to begin on Sept. 5, immediately following the holiday weekend.

The project will replace water mains and storms sewers under Center Street, Amboy Street, Bartlett Avenue, and Evans Street and is anticipated to be finished in early summer 2024.

Phase I of the Old Town construction project was completed last week and involved crews replacing a water main under the CN railroad tracks on Eastern Avenue.

Unlike Phase I, which saw Eastern Avenue closed for about two weeks, there are not expected to be any full road closures for Phase II.

Plainfield Public Works Director Scott Threewitt said that no full closures are anticipated, but that commuters and residents should anticipate delays through the area as daily lane closures will be implemented.

“People should plan for extra time to travel through the construction zone and check the village’s social media and website for regular updates,” said Threewitt.

The primary reason for the $6.3 million construction project is to replace the village’s old water mains and change out the lead piping which takes the water to the houses in the area for copper. However, the project also involves installing new storm sewers and making improvements to the existing sanitary sewers.

“As long as we’re addressing the water mains, it only made sense to work on the other underground utilities at the same time,” said Threewitt.

Once the underground utilities are completed in summer, Phase III of the project will begin to reconstruct the roadways which were impacted by Phases I and II. Phase II is being partially funded by a $1 million grant through the American Rescue Plan Act.