Themis Street closed today at Middle Street intersection

Construction of new water mains closed the intersection of Themis and Middle streets Monday. Older, two-inch-diameter steel water mains are being replaced with six-inch diameter, plastic ones.

Construction will take place today near the intersection of Broadway and Middle Street and on Wednesday at Bellevue Drive and North Middle Street.

"The plastic ones are less prone to leak," said Cape Girardeau water distribution supervisor Mark Skinner.

The new pipes will increase the speed of water flow to homes and allow the construction of two new fire hydrants, one each at the Bellevue and Broadway locations.

In 1994, the "Two-Inch Program" was devised that would replace the two-inch mains with six-inchers.

The size of the water main refers to the diameter size of the underground pipes that transport water to homes and fire hydrants.