Coxwell sewer fix slated for New Year

[attach]2922[/attach]East York residents had a chance to speak one on one with city staff and contractors working on the Coxwell Sanitary sewer trunk construction on Nov. 9.

After a 60-metre long crack was found in the Coxwell trunk line in December 2008, plans are underway to repair the sewer trunk that services one-third of Toronto’s homes.

Though environmental and city infrastructure damage are potential results if the cracked pipe were to burst, the impact from construction was the top concern for residents — and for good reason.

Anyone who lives in close proximity to the constructions sites may be affected by repair measures.

But it is necessary emergency work, says Lou Di Gironimo, general manager at Toronto Water.

“We need to get this work done,” he said. “The sooner we get it done, the sooner we can complete the repair and protect the environment.”

While it may cause minor inconvenience for residents at Coxwell Boulevard and O’Connor Drive, Di Gironimo is hoping to limit the disruption in this neighbourhood by trying not to have construction sites operating on specific days.

“We’re trying to work with the residents so we’re not impeding them at night,” he said. “We do have to work sometimes on the weekends depending on what’s going on at the site in particular.”

Construction is expected to begin early in the new year.

With workers on-site from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, the bypass is expected to be finished early next year.

By then residents can enjoy their construction-free zone neighbourhood again.

Community members and residents who were unable to attend the first meeting can attend a second one on Tues., Nov. 30 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the East York Civic Centre.