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The break, which originally occurred in the area of 100 East Hartsdale Ave. in Greenburgh over Memorial Day weekend and has caused traffic delays and sidewalk closures, is expected to be fixed by October or November, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner said.
According to Feiner, the fix has proved to be complicated because of the age of the pipe and manhole, the depth of the break, its proximity to multi-story buildings, and traffic congestion in the area.
"A project of this complexity would normally require significant planning and design before ever breaking ground," Feiner said, continuing, "As an emergency repair project, without the benefit of an extended time frame for design and installation, the steps being taken now must be deliberate and carefully considered in order to avoid errors associated with expediting a repair."
So far, the town has installed temporary piping to bypass the broken sewer line and allow for an intital investigation of the damage.
The sewer main underneath the sidewalk of East Hartsdale was then cleared of debris, revealing that a manhole and section of pipe directly connected to it were broken.
A lateral connection to the manhole was also revealed to have been damaged. This break may be directly under a multi-story building, but this cannot be confirmed until more excavation work is done, according to Feiner.
The town has hired a consultant to design shoring for this excavation, which will allow crews to repair the manhole and broken pipe. This may require intermittent road closures and traffic rerouting, Feiner said, adding that the sidewalk can then be restored afterwards.
After the repair is finally complete, the town will then begin a sewer line replacement and relining project that will require "extensive capital funding," according to Feiner.
"The town will, to the maximum extent possible, limit any disruptions to the residents and businesses on East Hartsdale and expedite these repairs," Feiner said.
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