The Castleton Fire District will begin a major project tearing up and replacing the old water mains underneath Main, South, and Glenbrook streets this week. The project will begin on South Street and then move to Main Street and Glenbrook Street. At times construction may cause delays especially for commuting students.The project will be built in three phases and will take three years and $5.5 million to complete. The first phase is the distribution system which includes the water mains. This phase should take roughly 180 days to complete, and will be the main reason for delays around campus.

The second and third phases involve water storage and water metering, both of which won’t hold as much inconvenience for students and faculty as the first phase.

The reason for the replacements is the result of a sanitary survey required by the state that showed weaknesses in the system, said Terry Reilly, chairman of the Castleton Fire District #1. Some of the improvements are mandated while others are not, but all will improve the town’s water delivery and fire protection. The existing mains are too small and their age is of primary concern, having been installed in the 1920’s, said Bill Allen, dean of administration at Castleton State.

The campus will also soon be starting its own construction to renovate Glenbrook gymnasium and the Campus Center.

“There’s going to be a lot of construction going on,” Allen said “It is an exciting time on campus, there’s a lot of change going on.”

The campus renovations and the water main project are not affiliated, but the Fire District and the college have a good working relationship, officials from both entities said

“What we are trying to do is coordinate our project and theirs,” Allen said.

The renovation on campus is expected to be done by winter. Everything is expected to go smoothly as long as the elements cooperate, both Reilly and Allen said.

There’s no doubt that there will be some delays for students, faculty and community members as a result of all the construction.

“A lot more students are going to be late for class” said Jennifer Manning, a Castleton commuter.

“Just be careful driving, I can’t stress that enough” said Allen.

There will be a lot of heavy traffic flow and at times South Street will be one way, he said. Everything has been pretty well thought out, Reilly said, but he added that “there might be a time or two when you may want to allow a few extra minutes.