Correction: This post was updated to correct the dates of road closures outlined in the fifth paragraph. Andover News regrets the error.
West Elementary School construction crews will work on Saturdays through the end of August to keep the project on schedule, thanks to the rainy spring and start of summer.
The school remains on schedule to open for the 2024-25 school year.
“We regret the inconvenience to our site neighbors and appreciate your patience,” the West Elementary School and Shawsheen Preschool Building Committee said on its Facebook page.
Construction will take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and continue to follow a 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule on weekdays.
Beacon Street, which was closed in front of the existing School from June 19 to June 30 — is scheduled to drop to one lane of alternating traffic from July 27-31. High Plain Road will also be limited to one lane of alternating traffic from July 24-28 and July 31-Aug. 2. Utility work is expected to add additional temporary road closures and restrictions, as well as water main shutoffs.
To date, the summer work schedule is on or ahead of schedule, and all completed work was finished on time or ahead of schedule. Since June 26, the school has been connected to the Town’s water and sewer systems and telephone connections have been installed. In the coming weeks, drainage will be connected to the sewer system and the school’s sewer system will be modified for construction, among other projects.
Already on of the most expensive public elementary school construction project in Massachusetts history with construction costs of $624 per square foot, West El’s total price tag rose to $168 million from the original, $151.6 million after Special Town Meeting approved money for budget overruns in December.