CRISFIELD — The end is in sight for the reopening of Cove Street as the failed pump replacement process is now underway.

Public Utilities Superintendent D.J. Parkinson said on Wednesday evening that demolition to install the pump is ongoing, and it is scheduled to be hooked up by the electrician on Friday and once tested and functional the lines and equipment in the street that also block access to Second Street will be removed.

“This for us is a big deal,” Mayor Darlene Taylor said, thanking Mr. Parkinson for his commitment to see this through. “Whenever they’re done, there should be nothing to preclude us from opening the street," which has been closed for months.

In other news, Mr. Parkinson said the lift station pumps on Jersey flooded when a water coolant line broke last Friday, and one of them was “fried” while the other continued to run even while underwater despite it not being designed as a submersible.

Salisbury-based contractor Chesapeake Environmental Services (CES) pumped out sewage and hauled it to the treatment plant “for multiple days” until a pump was installed on Wednesday.

“We were back up and running 100% on Jersey,” he said.