Interstate 80 sewer extensions installed in Marseilles

Marseilles’ Interstate 80 sewer extension project is moving forward, with the sewers now in the ground and booster stations waiting to get up and running.

City Engineer Mike Etscheid said at Wednesday’s City Council meeting the pump station and booster stations are scheduled to be delivered, although that doesn’t mean they’ll be up and running within a few days.

“We’ve still got power lines and other things to do,” Etscheid said. “We’ll get those things going and then there will be testing.”

Extending the city’s sewer and water lines was approved in July when Pohar & Sons Construction was awarded the $4.2 million bid for the project. The extension is expected to help Marseilles grow development to the interstate, city officials have said.

Etscheid also updated the Marseilles City Council on the Main and Commercial streets project, which he thinks should be done within 30 to 60 days. The project will move Commercial Street north to within about six feet of Ziggy’s to create an S curve on the east side near Broadway.

Etscheid said there’s been some complaints from residents the project isn’t moving faster but there’s nothing the city can do about it since the contract is with the state of Illinois instead of Marseilles.

Etscheid said there’s been some issues with the concrete’s security the workers are trying to solve, and that seems to be where the hang up is right now. The project was scheduled to be wrapped up in October.