Business Route 1 construction in Damariscotta will move another step closer to completion today as contractors pave the roadway.
Damariscotta Superintendent of Roads, Buildings and Grounds Steve Reynolds said he expects paving to continue all day and possibly into the evening.
Flaggers will maintain one-way traffic throughout construction, although motorists might face slightly longer delays than usual, Reynolds said.
He said the plan is to “get the road 100 percent today,” finish the sidewalks Monday and Tuesday and re-stripe the road late next week.
“As most of you know, this project has presented many challenging hurdles and, as of this writing, we are finally nearing completion and anticipate 100 percent status by” Friday, July 20, Reynolds wrote in a report.
The construction project, now two weeks past deadline, has faced delays for various reasons since its April start.
“It’s been a very frustrating process,” Damariscotta Town Manager Matt Lutkus said at a July 11 meeting of the Board of Selectmen.
Lutkus and Reynolds have pointed to the bureaucracy of the Dept. of Transportation as the cause of a recent work interruption.
Board of Selectmen Chairman David Atwater said, despite the pace of construction, he has received a lot of positive comments from citizens excited about the new sidewalk.
