A 365-foot stretch of sanitary sewer line on Military Road in the Town of Niagara collapsed earlier this month and needs replacing.
The Niagara Town Board has approved a contract worth $635,000 to Mark Cerrone, Inc., to replace 365 feet of sewer by the Wegmans plaza, with work starting this week. It’s anticipated to take 20 days to complete, with traffic on that stretch reduced to one lane.
Town Supervisor Sylvia Virtuoso said there could have been several reasons for this pipe’s collapse, which occurred on Feb. 6, whether its age or increased traffic going over it. The town had to do bypass pumping so the water would not spread along Military Road or into the plaza.
“The sewer water would build up because it’s not going where it’s supposed to go,” Virtuoso said. “Now we have to repair the line itself.”
The total project cost is expected to be more than the contract bid amount due to overtime for bypass pumping and other items needed for completion. The board had bonded $700,000 to cover the costs.
The board had also approved bonding $698,000 for two new Peterbilt snowplows. They are due to replace two town DPW plows from 1985 and 1995, which no longer have repair parts available.
“We wouldn’t get the town plowed with just the ones we have,” Virtuoso said. The town’s two other snowplows are both less than 20 years old.
The board tabled approving site plans for Niagara Hyundai’s new dealership on Military Road. Representatives still have to show more site changes to the town planners, though Virtuoso does not foresee any issues involving it.
The new 20,000-square-foot dealership would be part of Joe Cecconi’s Chrysler Complex, planned to open in mid- to late-2026. Currently, Niagara Hyundai leases space on Alvin Road on Grand Island.