CENTER ROAD FORCEMAIN 

Background

Over the past few years, the existing 8-inch Class 52 Ductile Iron sanitary sewer forcemain on Center Road (Route 15) has had three breaks. The sanitary sewer forcemain was constructed between 1983 and 1984. The breaks were due in part to being embedded in corrosive soils and a large boulder being placed on top of the pipe during the original installation. Because the breaks depleted significant resources from Public Works and the repair and maintenance sewer budget, it was determined that the forcemain needed to be replaced.

  1. Work expected to begin the week of April 28th

    The Town of Essex will be replacing the sewer forcemain on Center Road - delays in traffic are expected. Read on...

  2. Announcement of $3.8 million awarded to Northern Border Regional Commission Grants

    Town of Essex receives $500,000: Planning and design to support the expansion of water and sewer infrastructure throughout the Essex Town Center area where proposed municipal facilities, fire station, library, and community space are planned. Read on...
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Project DetailsCenter Rd

Public Works staff has been working with Aldrich & Elliott to complete the design and procure construction service for the replacement. The project includes replacing the existing sanitary sewer forcemain through horizontal direction drilling from Saybrook Road to Market 32 (90 Center Road) and upgrading the Heritage Estates pump station located at 65 Chelsea Road with a third pump and new electrical controls. The project is currently out to bid, and construction is expected to start in late spring.

The total project cost for engineering services and construction is $1,884,000. Funding for the project is through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund in the form of low interest loans. The Town received subsidy in the amount of $23,400.  

While the intent is to minimize impacts to the traveling public by using horizontal direction drilling, there will be traffic delays during construction. Updates will be provided after the bid opening and when a construction schedule has been confirmed.

Construction

Courtland Construction has been awarded the contract for construction. Construction is expected to start the week of April 28, 2025 and will last approximately 6 weeks for the installation of the sewer forcemain. The sewer forcemain will be installed using horizontal directional drilling which is a trenchless construction technique that creates an underground tunnel to install utilities or other underground infrastructure. This method minimizes surface disruption (i.e., no excavation, decreased traffic delays) and reduces overall project costs. Every effort will be made to keep two lanes of traffic open to the traveling public, but there will be delays, so plan accordingly or seek alternate routes. 

There will be a temporary shutdown through the summer due to the lead time to order some of the materials and work will be picked back up in August 2025. The work in August will be installing valves and making the upgrades to the pump station on Chelsea Road. There will be little impact to traffic during this time. The project will be completed in September.

Project Update

The sewer forcemain was successfully installed using horizontal directional drilling and was put into operation the second week of September 2025. While the project is mostly complete, there is work that still needs to be done on the sewer pump station. The work includes installation of a third pump, hook up generator for power outage events, an updated control panel, and installation of a fence. Due to the lead time on the pump, this work will take place in spring 2026. Photos of the project are included below.

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Documents

  1. Center Road Forcemain Site Plan

Contact Information

Aaron Martin, Public Works Director
amartin@essex.org

Ann Costandi, Water Quality Director
acostandi@essex.org
Ph. (802) 878-1344