The Route 28 corridor is bracing for a significant infrastructure overhaul as the Harwich Board of Water/Wastewater Commissioners unveiled the specifics of a two-year water main replacement project slated to begin this September. The massive undertaking, representing an estimated $11 million investment, will see a new 12-inch water main installed from Riverside Drive to South Street. A critical component of the plan includes a sophisticated engineering feat: directional drilling 15 to 20 feet beneath the bottom of the Herring River to avoid surface disruption to the waterway.

Engineering consultant Bob Drake of GHD provided a detailed technical briefing during the Wednesday session, explaining that the new main will be positioned in the roadway on the south side of Route 28. In a move designed to protect local businesses and residents from service interruptions, the existing water main—which currently runs beneath the sidewalk—will remain live until the new system is fully tested and pressurized. The existing water main will remain live at all times, so there'll be no disruption during construction to your water main or water service, Drake said. He noted that once the new main is in service, the transition for individual properties will be swift, taking approximately four hours per house or business to complete the final tie-in.

The project is currently awaiting a final permit from MassDOT, with plans to advertise the contract for bids in July. While the work is expected to span two years, the schedule includes mandatory seasonal shutdowns during the winter months. To minimize local impact, the board has mandated that construction begin at the bridge to coordinate with a concurrent town project to pave the dirt parking lot east of the Herring River. I just heard you say that the project will start at the bridge... I thought that was partly determined by the bidder, Chair Noreen Donahue noted. Drake clarified that the town is specifying the starting point to prevent conflicts with a separate MassDOT project scheduled for next spring, which will cover the stretch from the Dennis town line to the bridge.

During a public comment portion of the hearing, one resident asked for clarification on whether Route 28 would remain usable or if the town planned a total reroute of traffic. Drake reassured the public that the project team intends to maintain alternating traffic or one-way flow rather than implementing a total closure, as the work is concentrated approximately five feet from the southern curb line. This logistical planning is particularly sensitive given the town's broader environmental and fiscal pressures, including the mandatory two-day-per-week water restrictions that took effect on May 1 due to Drought Level 2 conditions.

The meeting also served as a launchpad for a collaborative communication strategy between the town and the local business community. Cindy Williams, Executive Director of the Harwich Chamber of Commerce, thanked the commissioners for the early outreach. I'd also like to thank the water and wastewater commissioners for reaching out into the partnership we have started... for this opportunity as well as bringing all of you together but also our businesses and members to hear from you, Williams said. She noted that similar proactive communication was highly valued during past infrastructure projects in East Harwich.

Superintendent Jason Trapania emphasized that the department has been preparing for this project for several years and remains committed to transparency. The Harwich Water Department has been working on this project for a couple of years now. And it will soon be starting, Trapania told the board. He encouraged any local business owners who were unable to attend the session to reach out to his office directly with questions as the bidding phase approaches.

Chair Donahue, joined by commissioners John Goff and Alan Thompson, stressed that the session was a preliminary heads up before the summer season begins. Once a contractor is selected and the bid is finalized in July, the town will initiate a comprehensive mailing campaign to every affected party. Larger community meetings are expected to follow at the Community Center to address final detours and specific contractor schedules. This is more kind of a heads up until we get the bid out and get the contractor to sit down and figure out the actual detours and the specifics, Donahue said. Once we have that, then we will be in writing to every party involved.