Don’t let the big equipment dissuade you: First Street is open

So, you're hungering for a Lopez or a Waldron sandwich at Rich's Cannery House, or you're heading to a club meeting in the Legion Hall, or perhaps you want to take some guests to the Whale Museum. Don't let the big equipment and trenched roadway dissuade you. First Street is open for business.

So, you’re hungering for a Lopez or a Waldron sandwich at Rich’s Cannery House, or you’re heading to a club meeting in the Legion Hall, or perhaps you want to take some guests to the Whale Museum.

Don’t let the big equipment and trenched roadway dissuade you. First Street is open for business.

A new sewer line is being laid on First Street to Court Street to Second Street to Jensen Alley, as part of the upland sewer main project serving the waterfront area.

Whale Museum executive director Jenny Atkinson said Tuesday that she’s heard comments from islanders that the museum and others on that part of First Street are closed. Not true, she said. (The Whale Museum has free admission on Thursdays, by the way).

Chamber of Commerce executive director Debbie Pigman offered this update on the project:

1. Court Street should be patched up “soon.”

2. Court and First streets: “Using the expansive agent rather than explosives makes for a slower process to begin with,” she reported. “Then, add to that the fact that the workers found extremely difficult rock to excavate gives us the result that the First Street portion is about two weeks behind schedule.”

3. Cannery Landing: “Due to the issues with the oil found in the beginning of this portion of the project, a new game plan has been developed. A meeting was held with for all stakeholders to discuss the issues and options. Permission was given to extend hours of working.”

4. The Front Street portion of the project is “going well and is actually a week ahead of schedule.”