Sewer work and manhole repairs along the Melvin Evans Highway will add night shifts beginning Thursday, according to a news release from the V.I. Waste Management Authority.

The work on the Anguilla Interceptor along the highway will continue from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., with night work performed between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Mondays thru Saturdays.

The westbound left lane of the Melvin Evans Highway will be closed during working project hours.

The evening work is necessary to allow for the rehabilitation and lining of the manholes during what the WMA calls "the lowest peak time of the sewer flow." The project, which began in June, includes the slip-lining of approximately 3,800 linear feet of gravity-fed sewer line and the rehabilitation of 40 manholes.

Work will be performed in the right-of-way along the south side of the highway and the work area will be marked with barricades and flashing lights when work is not being performed. The west bound lane will be re-opened when work is not being performed.

The project runs parallel to the Melvin Evans Highway from the intersection of the highway and Container Port Road, passing through the St. Croix Renaissance Group’s property and concluding at the Anguilla Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The authority asked drivers to reduce vehicular speed, no matter how much they might wish to hurry past the sewer work. WMA also encourages drivers to find and use alternate routes during this time, if possible.

The existing sewer lines will be lined with a permeable material that allows for trenchless repairs. This technology allows for limited digging and impact to the infrastructure at significant time and cost savings. Lining of the sewer also restores the structural integrity of the pipe, reduces root intrusion and improves flow capacity, according to Waste Management.

The U.S. Department of Interior provided $1.6 million for the project. More information is available by calling the VIWMA Office of Communications Management at 690-4218.