WESTBROOK – Things were flowing smoothly on Monday morning as crews began work to replace water lines by the Cumberland Street bridge.

The Portland Water District is replacing the aging pipes and putting in new ones leading to the Sappi Fine Paper mill. According to the water district’s Dave Bernard, who was on site inspecting the work being done by Shaw Brothers of Gorham, the old lines were well past their prime.

“Part of this line is 100 years old,” Bernard said. “It’s more than time.”

While the Maine Department of Transportation had put out warnings regarding the potential of long traffic delays, those did not materialize at the bridge by the mill on Monday morning. Traffic was flowing smoothly through the work zone with minimal to no stopping.

Bernard said it had been that way since crews began work at approximately 7 that morning.

“Everything is flowing good,” he said. “We’ve got traffic control out here and everything is fine.”

Anumber of warning signs in the area alert drivers about the construction, and Bernard said those signs, as well as drivers finding ways around the construction zone as the project goes on, will help keep traffic problems down.

“I think as time goes on, I think people are going to get used to it and take alternate routes,” he said.

Traffic moves steadily through the work zone as crews begin to replace aging water lines by the Cumberland Street bridge on Monday morning.