The sound of construction was a welcome one in a Worcester, Massachusetts neighborhood Tuesday, where residents have been dealing with pesky power problems since after Thanksgiving.

For weeks, John Simirano has been adjusting the clocks in his home and bracing for sudden outages in Worcester's Grafton Hills neighborhood, where residents say they've dealt with unreliable power since an underground cable failed on Black Friday. 

Since the cable failure, dozens have relied on a generator brought in to keep homes powered. But that temporary solution came with its own problems, including additional outages and the smell of diesel fuel. 

Two things especially concerning for Simarano's wife, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. 

"She has breathing problems, and she uses what they call a nebulizer," Simirano said. "She did use it a few times during this last four, five weeks here. And if the power goes out, you can't use it. You know, it affects her breathing even more." 

New underground cable being installed

Though on Tuesday, there were finally signs of relief. Crews were on site working on what neighbors hope will be a permanent fix. National Grid says local property rights and permits were needed before replacement of the cable could begin. 

The repair includes installing a new conduit and a new underground cable, expected to be completed Saturday, January 10, "barring any unforeseen circumstances."

"National Grid's top priority is delivering energy safely, reliably, and affordably for our customers, and we understand how disruptive any interruption in service can be," said a National Grid spokesperson in a statement.