BIDDEFORD — The return of spring and warmer weather means that constructions crews are able to return to work on several street and sidewalk projects that began last year in Biddeford.

Crews have resumed work on the South Street Project and will begin replacing sewer lines and storm drains underneath South Street between Dearborn Street and May Street on Monday morning. The Main Street Sidewalk Project also resumes in downtown Biddeford on Monday.

The $2.336 million South Street project involving multiple agencies stretches from Highland Drive to Briarwood Drive along South Street, and at times last summer had limited access to motorists in that area. When that portion of construction was completed last fall, Maine Water had replaced more than 2,400 feet of old, undersized cast iron water main installed in the 1880s that is part of Biddeford’s original water system.

Through the decades, the existing pipelines have been subject to multiple breaks causing interrupted service and other issues along South Street and surrounding neighborhoods, Biddeford City Engineer Tom Milligan said when the project launched last summer.

Maine Water replaced existing pipe in the area with 8-inch ductile iron main lines, installed several new fire hydrants while renewing and replacing older customer service connections along South Street.

According to Milligan, the sewer separation process converts the old combined, single-pipe system into separate sewers for sanitary and storm water flows under an EPA mandate for older systems like Biddeford and the new materials these pipes are made of should last anywhere between 50 to 100 years.

“The environmentally efficient two-pipe system helps reduce Combined Sewer Outflow during major storms and heavy rainfall, a significant improvement from the old one-pipe method that resulted in a combination of wastewater and storm water overflow leading to contamination of bodies of water it drained into,” Milligan said. “Using the new separated sewer and storm drains, storm water is conveyed to a storm water outfall for discharge directly into receiving water, helping protect drinking water and reducing contamination for the city.”

City officials say that during this spring’s construction work, residents will be allowed to travel to and from their homes on South Street and side streets that can only be accessed from South Street. All non-residential traffic can expect detours and should follow posted directional signs.

They said that to allow for underground piping to be reconstructed in a quick and timely manner, parking will be prohibited in some areas of the street on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Also some additional Saturday work may be necessary to meet required scheduled, and any extra parking restrictions on these days will be posted.

When all of the South Street construction project has been completed in early summer by crews from general contractor Pratt and Sons of Minot, South Street will have received new sewers, storm drains, water mains, sidewalks, curbing, and street paving since the project opened last July.

The Main Street Sidewalk Project will demolish and replace sidewalks on both sides of Main Street between Elm and Adams streets. At the same time, new LED lighting, landscaping, planters, and other street amenities will be installed before the project wraps up this summer, city officials said.

For motorists, access to Main Street businesses will not be affected during the sidewalk project, however, construction crews will be installing temporary aluminum ramps when the sidewalks are removed so that pedestrians can safely travel to the entrances of businesses in the affected area.

Officials stress that traffic will flow in both directions on Main Street as normal during the construction project, but two-hour parking areas will be reduced to 15-minute parking in the construction zone.

Those with questions about either project can call the city’s Public Works Department at 282-1579 or the Engineering Office at 284-9118.

— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 or by email at editor@journaltribune.com