Norwich – Work to replace the natural gas lines along the busy sections of Washington Street and Broadway near the William W. Backus Hospital, Norwich Free Academy and St. Patrick’s Cathedral will begin Monday, Norwich Public Utilities announced.

NPU has contracted with RH White to replace the gas mains on Broadway, from Otis Street to the intersection at Washington Street, and continuing on Washington Street to the Lafayette Street intersection.

Work will begin on Broadway near NFA Monday. Crews will work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Sunday, July 22, crews will begin work on the Washington Street section of the project. Work on Washington Street will be scheduled Sunday through Thursday, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., until complete.

Following Washington Street, crews will return to complete the Broadway portion of the project during daytime hours.

NPU anticipates that the entire project will be completed by the end of August.

“We realize that this is a very busy and critical transportation route, so we are trying to schedule the crews at times that have the least amount of impact to traffic flow,” said Chris LaRose, NPU operations division manager. “Our goal is to have this work complete before the start of the school year in September.”

Road closures will not be required; however drivers should proceed with caution when passing work zones.

Natural gas main replacement is an ongoing effort to ensure the safety and integrity of our natural gas pipeline. Anyone with concerns or questions about this project can contact Bill Dewey, Construction Foreman at 860-823-4150, or send an email to communitymatters@npumail.com.