It’s been said there is a great deal of history buried within the bricks and cobblestones of Salem, MA. Some of it good, some not so good, and some just the kind that needs to be updated. National Grid will be working to replace two aging underground electric transmission lines, located through a small stretch of Salem. These lines transmit electricity used by hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses in Salem and throughout the North Shore.
This of course means a slight bit of inconvenience to motorists driving and parking in the City.
A small number of “no parking” signs will be posted in advance of construction, and those restrictions will remain in effect until construction is complete for that day. Police details and signs will always be present to assist everyone through the work zone and to facilitate traffic management.
The Salem Cable Replacement Project will install new cables in a duct bank and manhole system, which will eliminate the need to dig up Salem streets for regular repairs. The new, modern cables will also address capacity limitations and maintenance issues with the current system.
The weekday work hours for the Salem Cable Project are 7 am to 4:30 pm (which includes the last hour given over to work site clean-up),
The first two work sites for the project, beginning on/or around March 11: Hawthorne Boulevard, just north of the Derby Street intersection, and Congress Street, on the north side of the South River Bridge.
- Hawthorne Boulevard : contractors will be installing a large manhole. This work is expected to last for approximately two weeks, weather permitting.
- Congress Street : contractors will begin installing the duct bank that will house the new underground electrical transmission cable. This installation will continue northward, towards Derby Street, ending at the newly installed manhole described above. Due to the nature of this type of work, it is estimated to be completed in five to six weeks, weather permitting.
Also, during the construction activities, one National Grid Gas crew will be finishing gas line installations on Hawthorne Boulevard between Derby Street and Washington Square South; and along Congress Street, on the north side of the Congress Street Bridge.
A project map including the approximate location for the Hawthorne Boulevard and Congress Street work sites is available on their website’s Blog: www.salemcableproject.com/blog .
In fact, to stay up-to-date on each phase of the Salem Cable Replacement Project, just sign up for email updates, like it on Facebook, and to follow on Twitter and Instagram. You can also call the toll-free hotline at 1-844-SALEMCABLE (1-844-725-3622).
