Major construction for upgrades to several North Branford roads is getting underway while other streets will be undergoing chip sealing as part of on-going maintenance to town roads. Meanwhile, residents on some other streets will find their neighborhood is in line for routine sewer line flushing to minimize backups. In other town infrastructure news, work to upgrade Memorial Park's courts is nearing completion and has a target date of July 18 for re-opening.  All of these items, and more, are shared by Town Manager Michael Paulhus his June 17, 2016 weekly report.

Memorial Park's five tennis courts and basketball court have newly poured concrete slabs which are now in the process of a 30-day curing period before final coatings and line painting can be applied. Paulhus reports a target opening date of Saturday, July 18. Residents passing the park beside North Branford Intermediate School should see work on sidewalks, landscaping and fence posts start this week.

On June 20, Paulhus issued a reminder letter to residents of neighborhoods impacted by the town's road improvement project that the construction work is set to get started after July 4, 2016. Road improvements will be done to Blue Jay Drive, Hillside View Road, Hummingbird Drive, Meadowlark Lane, Skylark Drive and Snowbird Lane. Work will begin with removal of the deteriorated drainage system beneath the roads as well as replacing/refurbishing catch basins before the road base is reclaimed or replaced and then capped with new paved surfaces.

"During the construction period, the Town and the contractor [Tilcon] will be making all attempts to minimize disruption to the neighborhood. However, due to the nature of the work, short term disruptions, including potential detours, will be inevitable," Paulhus noted, thanking residents for being patient and considerate during the process.

Residents with questions or concerns may contact Paulhus at (203) 484-6060.

Paulhus also shared a notice from the town regarding chip sealing (a mix of stone chips spread in an asphalt emulsion base) underway this summer on the following roads: Valley Road, North Street, Church Street, Olson Road, Clear Lake Road, Clear Lake Manor Road, Dinwoodie Drive, Calvin Road, County Road, Maple Road, Hall Road, Evergreen Drive, Dogwood Road, Highfield Lane, Cortland Drive, Bailey Drive, West Pond Road (174 and lower) and West Pond Road Ext.

"Loose stones may be present for a period of a week or more on these roads, which will subsequently be removed by the contractor. All residents are requested to drive slowly during and after replacement of the stone chip on these streets. No parking will be allowed on the streets during this time period," the notice states.

Town Engineer Kurt Weiss provided a list of the streets where sanitary sewer line flushing will take place between mid-June to mid-July, conducted by town contractor Veolia Water.  To keep lines clear, the contractor flushes approximately 20 percent of the town's lines each year. The area where flushing will occur this summer includes Woodvale Drive, Birchwood Road, Cedar Lane, Village Street, Nida Drive, Palanga Road, Ruta Drive, Venta Drive, Great Oak Road, Forest View Road, Gail Court, Gail Drive, Nida to ROW to North Haven town line, Ely Lane, Judith Court, Foote Hill Road, St. Monica Drive and Salem Street.

Veiola Water regularly flushes approximately 20 percent of town lines annually, Weiss noted.  He also noted the pressurized flushing can create a slight vacuum in sewer lines, which can cause toilets to flush and also splash a minimal amount of water as a result, which can be easily cleaned up by the homeowner.