City crews will replace the 75-year-old sewer under Talcott Avenue as part of a $7.6 million project. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Heather Cherone

NORWOOD PARK — A $7.6 million project to replace the sewer under Talcott Avenue that snarled traffic throughout Norwood Park for more than a year is complete, Ald. Anthony Napolitano's (41st) office said.

Crews charged with replacing 12-inch sewer mains with significantly larger pipes in an effort to prevent nearby homes from flooding finished nearly two months ahead of schedule, said Chris Vittorio, Napolitano's chief of staff.

"We're glad it is done," Vittorio said.

The project created a "traffic nightmare" by closing Talcott Avenue at Oriole Avenue so crews could connect two halves of the project, Vittorio said.

That closure snarled traffic near Resurrection Medical Center and Resurrection College Prep High School from June 1 to Aug. 4, three days longer than scheduled, Vittorio said.

Despite the completion of the Talcott Avenue project, sewer replacement efforts are continuing across the Northwest Side.

An effort to replace sewer pipes that date back to 1922 is underway along Raven Street from Newark to Nagle avenue and along Nettleton Avenue from Raven Street to Newburg Avenue.

During the work, set to start at 7 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. on weekdays, the streets will be closed to traffic, officials said. Drivers should expect trips in the area to take longer than usual, and should follow all posted detours, officials added.

Parking will be banned in the work area, officials said.

When crews are off-duty, one lane will be open to traffic, officials said.

The project is expected to be completed in December, and the streets will be repaved in the spring, officials said.

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