A section of Baxter Boulevard will close for paving for three days over the next two weeks as Portland works to complete roadwork following the installation of a new underground storm and wastewater storage system.

The road will be closed from Preble Street to Payson Park starting at 9 a.m. Thursday and Friday, and at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5. The road has largely been closed between Vannah Avenue and the park for two years as the city completes a wastewater management project.

The Vannah Avenue connection to Baxter Boulevard also will be closed during the paving, the city said.

The road between Preble Street and Vannah Avenue will reopen each night following paving, but the section from Vannah Avenue to Payson Park will remain closed, the city said in a traffic advisory Monday.

The road closure is part of a $28 million storm and wastewater management project known as the Back Cove West Storage Conduit. The city built a 2.25-million-gallon underground storage system to keep untreated storm and wastewater from flowing into Casco Bay.

Earlier this summer, the city said that it anticipated fully reopening Baxter Boulevard by the end of July, but that timeframe was pushed to the end of August due to rainy weather that interfered with crews’ ability to install a cobblestone gutter.

Public Works Director Mike Murray did not respond to an inquiry Monday afternoon asking about when the project will be complete.

The traffic advisory noted that backups may occur and motorists should avoid the area and use Forest Avenue instead if possible. It also said the project is weather dependent and may change due to scheduling conflicts and the rain dates for other projects.

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