GREENFIELD — Drivers on Nash’s Mill Road can expect detours through April 19, as the city announced Friday the installation of a new 12-inch water main.

Work is set to begin Monday, March 4, on the $656,920 project, which will be funded through repurposed water appropriations and water user fees. Construction is expected to last approximately seven weeks and the road will be closed between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays.

Director of Public Works Marlo Warner II said the project will involve the installation of a second water main in the neighborhood, which will supplement the existing pipe that was installed approximately 60 years ago. The need for this new pipe, he emphasized, is if the existing pipe were to break underneath the Green River, it would be extremely difficult to repair and the northwest section of the city would get little water.

“This has been needed for many years due to the fact that the Meadows area is sourced by one water main,” Warner explained in a statement. “If that were ever to break or be compromised, the city’s northwest section would have very little water and reduced fire protection.

“When it comes to digging in the river and fixing something in the river, that’s a whole different ballgame environmentally,” Warner mentioned in a phone interview. “The one we’re installing is going to be accessible.”

The city has tapped Haluch Water Contracting to take on the project.

While the city has been “pretty fortunate” because the existing pipe has yet to break, Warner said some of these older pipes can break at any time due to a wide variety of factors and age often exacerbates the other problems. Earlier this week, the city needed to implement a different traffic pattern on Federal Street to facilitate repairs on a water main break.

When Nash’s Mill Road is closed, drivers can travel from Green River Road to Eunice Williams Drive and then to Leyden Road or they may use Colrain Road to the Mohawk Trail rotary. If there are changes to the construction timeline, the city will notify the public on social media and on the city website.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.