Summer means construction work in Princeton. After recent road works on Dickinson Street, Snowden Lane, and River Road, Vandeventer Avenue was closed starting on Monday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for sanitary sewer work. Also beginning on Monday, Washington Road was closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Faculty Road and Ivy Lane for resurfacing work by Mercer County.

Milling and paving work on Washington is expected to continue through August 30, Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., at which time it will be closed between Prospect Avenue and Faculty Road. Harrison Street is the suggested alternate route.

The work on Vandeventer follows on improvements made by the municipality on the northern portion of Moore Street between Franklin Avenue and Hamilton/Wiggins.

The municipal project to repair and replace the sanitary sewer main pipe in the Vandeventer roadway is being overseen by Princeton Assistant Engineer Robert Pagan and carried out by the contractor Integrated Construction and Utilities of New Jersey.

“As the project manager, I’ll be on site checking the progress of the work, which is moving as anticipated so far,” said Mr. Pagan, who was examining the project with Inspector Chris Knigge on Monday.

Individual sewer pipes serving private properties on the street will also be replaced to a point behind the sidewalk and will be paid for by the municipality. If, through a video inspection by the contractor, it is discovered that repairs are necessary to the portion of the sewer between the municipal right of way and private homes, property owners will be given the option to use either a plumber at their own cost for the repairs or to use the municipality’s contractor and be assessed for the cost over a 10-year period.

“We expect to complete the first stage of the project from Spring Street to Nassau Street by the end of the week,” said Mr. Pagan, a 25-year veteran with the municipality and assistant engineer for the Borough of Princeton before consolidation took place in January.

As soon as the first stage of the project ends, the second stage, from Spring Street to Wiggins will begin and is expected to take two weeks. The work is being confined to the hours between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. during the Monday to Friday work week. According to Mr. Pagan, Vandeventer will reopen to traffic and parking at the end of each work day and on weekends.

The good news, however, is that Alexander Street reopened on Monday after repaving work on University Place between College Road and Alexander Street.

Temporary Dinky Station

As for the Dinky, a temporary station located some 1,210 feet away from the current station is expected to open next Monday, August 26, on Alexander.

The temporary station will serve until the fall of 2014 when Princeton University hopes to complete the construction of a new Dinky station some 460 feet away from the current Dinky Station buildings, which will be converted into a restaurant and café as part of the University’s $330 million Arts and Transit project.

The temporary station will have an enclosed heated and air-conditioned waiting room.

According to Kristen Appelget, Princeton University’s director of community and regional affairs, the University will provide a new express bus, called Tiger PAW, as a supplement to the Dinky service between Princeton station and Princeton Junction. PAW would meet every incoming train to the Junction. Ms. Appleget gave an update to the municipality at the most recent council meeting on August 5. She announced that while the new Dinky Station is being constructed the Tiger Paw will serve passengers inconvenienced by the distance that the temporary station adds to their journey. Commuters who drive to the temporary Dinky site will find a parking lot with space for 150 vehicles.

For additional information about the Arts and Transit project, call (609) 258-8023 or visit: www.princeton.edu/artsandtransit. For information on road closures in the Princeton area, visit: www.princetonnj.gov/engineering.