Londonderry public works details multi-year force main project, safety and schedule

Londonderry Director of Public Works Dave Wallally outlined a multi-year sewer force main installation on Pillsbury and Hardy roads that will pump wastewater from the Woodmont/Michaels Way area over a mile to Manchester.

"The contractor for this project is Defel Corporation," Wallally said, adding that the work is funded by HUD, private developers and sewer fund users, with only limited local tax dollars used for localized fixes. He described the project as "very complicated" and said it is expected to last "a couple of years or at least through two construction cycles" because crews must excavate through substantial ledge.

Wallally explained why the force main must pump to Manchester rather than connect in nearby Derry: "Derry ... do not have the capacity to handle the future buildout of that area. So that's why this must be pumped over to Manchester." He said the line will meet an existing gravity feed at the summit on Braftoft Road before continuing to the Manchester Wastewater Plant.

On-site, Wallally described the construction sequence: a drill-and-blasting crew prepares ledge and a separate pipe crew follows when an area is cleared. He said crews use buttfusing to join pipe on site and that the method lets them install greater footage more quickly. "They're able to get greater footage in the ground quicker by using this method as well," he said.

Wallally emphasized that visible trench patches are temporary measures following blasting and excavation. "This trench patch is what they put in place after they blast it. This is not a permanent fix. In fact, it's going to be re-excavated when the pipe crew gets here to put the pipe in," he said, describing subsequent milling, compaction testing, placement of a permanent base course and, at the project's end, a full-width overlay.

Safety and traffic access during blasting were central themes of the briefing. Wallally said hard-stop closures are mandatory during detonations and that residents may be temporarily blocked from entering certain approaches: "When they are about to detonate this pad right here, they absolutely have to have a full hard stop closure. We are not allowed to let people into the work zone area for obvious safety concerns." He added that crews work to avoid peak travel times and coordinate closely with police, fire and emergency medical services to maintain emergency access when possible.

Wallally noted intersection improvements tied to the broader set of road work: the Pillsbury/Hardy crossing will be converted to a conventional three-way stop and a fire hydrant will be relocated to correct alignment. He estimated the pipe crew would reach the Pillsbury stretch between Gilchrist and Michael's Way by mid to late June.

The project includes construction of a small pump station about 400 feet west of the Michael's Way intersection on Pillsbury Road that will receive gravity flows and pump them into the force main. Wallally said pump equipment is on order and reiterated the town's focus on minimizing resident disruption while advancing the work.

The town identified Defel Corporation as the principal contractor and cited funding through HUD, private development contributions and sewer fund users. No formal vote or council action was described during the on-site briefing; Wallally presented operational details and schedule updates and emphasized continuing resident notifications and safety protocols.

The town did not provide a firm project completion date beyond the expectation of multi-year work; some pipe installation work may continue into winter months. Residents with concerns about access or schedules were told to expect advance notices tied to blasting and other disruptive operations.