Construction crews are set to begin excavation on Route 1 and Route 218 in Wiscasset in order to replace the aging water main and storm drain infrastructure.
Starting Monday, May 2 crews will begin excavations on portions of Route 1 between the Sheepscot River and Pleasant Street. During the day, two lanes of traffic will remain open for almost the entire duration of the construction period, with brief closures at night for areas where the water and storm pipes cross the road. The Wiscasset police department and certified flaggers will assist in traffic management during the construction on Route 1.
Construction on Route 1 is scheduled to be completed by mid-June, at which time, crews will focus on replacing the water main and storm drains on Route 218 (Federal Street) between Main Street and Morton Street. Work on Federal Street will be completed during the day. Due to the narrow nature of the road, flaggers will regulate one-way, alternating traffic on Route 218.
Harry C. Crooker & Sons, Inc of Topsham is the contractor for the $1.6 million project overseen by Tata and Howard of Portland, a water and wastewater consulting firm.
The Wiscasset Water District is overseeing this locally-administered project. Wiscasset needed to replace its aging water mains to address water quality issues and improve water flow and water pressure. In order to minimize traffic disruptions, MaineDOT opted to replace the deteriorating storm drainage system while the water main was replaced. This allowed both projects to occur simultaneously, eliminating the need to excavate the road again in the near future.