More water, a little less work helps construction crews weather the heat

A NEUCO crew works on a Columbus Avenue ditching project on a hot Monday. (Rochester Voice photos)

ROCHESTER - As the temperture hit 96 at high noon on Monday, an underground utility construction crew worked across the street from Headlines Boutique on Columbus Avenue digging into a trench under a blistering midday sun.

"I'm not going to make these guys work as hard as a I would on a cool day," said the NEUCO crew's foreman, who preferred not to give his name. "I'll let the machines do more of the work."

Rochester Police Patrolman Jonathan Labosier was out on a safety and traffic assignment while the NEUCO crew did its work on Columbus Avenue.

He pointed to a compact utility loader that was tamping down dirt, adding, "I'd usually have one of my crew doing that with a shovel, but not today."

He said on a day this hot, they take a water break every 30 minutes.

"We try not to work as hard or as long," he added, noting that if the mercury hits "the trips" they call it a day.

Today will be cooler, but not by much with a high of 95. Tomorrow it drops back into the 80s.