Sewage Plant Repairs Begin in Vestal

Binghamton area motorists who prefer to avoid Vestal Parkway by opting to take Vestal Road, are seeing much more activity around the Binghamton/Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant.

Major demolition work is underway on a $90 million repair to the plant, which was heavily damaged in the 2006 flood, had a portion of a wall collapse in May, 2011 prior to being damaged again by the September, 2011 flood.

The demolition portion is expected to take up to eight months with the construction beginning next spring.

As for now, motorists on Vestal Road are seeing many more trucks around the western side of the plant and several men in bright yellow shirts working outside the building, but no lane restrictions.

Binghamton and Johnson City have bonded for the repair work and a planned mitigation project that includes construction of a flood wall to protect the plant.

It's hoped the Federal Emergency Management Agency will cut a reimbursement check for part of the work and that a pending lawsuit over the wall collapse will pay off.