NASHUA – West Hollis Street could open to two lanes of traffic once again this weekend, but efforts to repair a large sinkhole, which has snarled traffic in the area, will continue through the middle of November.

Park Construction, of Fitzwilliam, is in the process of repairing an underground sewer pipe that failed on Oct. 10. A section of pipe near the corner of West Hollis and Pine streets collapsed, allowing the pavement above it to cave in.

The resulting sinkhole impacted 150 feet of sewer pipe. Three city employees were also sprayed with sand and sewage when a bladder placed on the end of the broken pipe burst.

“The Street Department attempted to repair the failed sewer pipe and after the initial dig, it was determined that a contractor would be needed to repair the sewer pipe which is located at a depth of 17 feet below street level,” Mayor Donnalee Lozeau wrote in a memo to the Finance Committee.

Lozeau authorized emergency repairs for the sinkhole totaling $40,000, plus about another $26,000 to rent and operate a high-power pump to move sewage around the hole.

The repair entails replacing approximately 20 feet of the 24-inch sewer main and between 50 feet or 60 feet of 12-inch water main.

Park Construction was selected in part because the company is already working on another sewer project in the city.

The mayor said the company has performed well in the past.

The sinkhole repairs have been a headache for some residents, and an inconvenience for motorists traveling down West Hollis Street, which has been restricted to one lane since October.

Police officers have been directing traffic at the scene.

At a Finance Committee meeting Wednesday, Lozeau said the job will be finished in the next couple of weeks, and both lanes of traffic are expected to be open once again by this weekend.

Alderman-at-Large David Deane questioned why the city is paying to repair the water main, which is owned by the Pennichuck water utility.

Lozeau said the city engineer feels the city allowed the water company to install a water pipe near the sewer line, and is hopeful they’ll at least split the cost.

Lozeau also notified the Finance Committee this week about other contracts and expenditures in the pipeline, including a $2.4 million civil engineering and administration contract for the Broad Street Parkway, a $63,860 contract to complete the Nashua Riverwalk project and the purchase of fire department dispatching equipment.

P&L Landscaping of Merrimack submitted the low bid for the final stretch of the 1.6-mile riverwalk, beating out four other offers which ranged between $64,100 and $115,200.

The proposed asphalt trail will be 10 feet wide and approximately 1,000 feet long. Lozeau said the project area runs from Cotton Mill Square around a Public Service of New Hampshire substation and along the railroad tracks toward Main Street.

The contract includes installation of new trail signs and includes a guarantee to maintain plantings for three years and remove invasive species from the riverbanks.

The Finance Committee was also notified that the fire department will spend $18,800 to replace outdated alarm monitoring equipment at the building on Lake Street. According to the mayor, the fire department has been experiencing performance issues because the older equipment is no longer being supported.

“The current system is 20 years old, so it’s time for this to be replaced,” Lozeau said.

Jim Haddadin can be reached at 594-6589 or jhaddadin@nashua
telegraph.com. Also, follow Haddadin on Twitter (@Telegraph_JimH).