CARIBOU, Maine — Renovations on High Street — a road that has been in need of repair for more than two decades — is expected to wrap up in approximately three weeks.
Caribou Public Works Director Dave Ouellette said that while the total project cost is estimated at more than $700,000, the actual cost to the city will likely be well under $95,000.
The first phase of the project involved renovating the underground pipes and drainage basins, which the Maine Department of Transportation recently completed as well as subcontractor Trombley Industries.
This portion of the road work was roughly $500,000, and completely funded by the Maine Department of Transportation. Now, work is set to resume on Sept. 20 as the Caribou Public Works Department and Trombley Industries begin the second phase.
The second phase involves finishing up the ADA-compliant sidewalks and curbing, putting in storm drains and grates, and also applying two coats of asphalt to the roadway.
Ouellette said the application of two coats will significantly improve the grade and smoothness of the road, adding that three inches of asphalt will be applied altogether.
“Three is too much to put all at once, because you can’t compact it all,” he said. “What we’re going to do is go in and put about an inch and a half on first, which establishes the height so we know where to set the height of catch basins and storm drains.”
Workers will then apply the second layer of asphalt.
“Putting down more than one layer can fix the ride,” he said. “When you’re driving down a road, you can sometimes feel a ‘wave’ going up and down. So if you tried to put three inches of asphalt down all at once you’d probably get 60 percent of it out, but by doing an inch and a half and then another inch and a half, you can get about 90 percent of it out.”
Altogether, Ouellette estimated on Sept. 18 that the project should be complete in roughly three weeks, adding that it would have been finished sooner however the project was held back by circumstances beyond the Public Works Department’s control.
“It’s that time of year when every contractor is busy,” he said.
This final phase is estimated to cost roughly $190,000, half of which will be funded by the MDOT. The city is responsible for the remaining $95,000, however Ouellette said that since his department is performing much of the labor, the final cost to the city may be significantly lower.
For example, if Ouellette can show that his department used $50,000 in manpower and equipment in performing the labor for the second phase of the project, the city of Caribou would only need to pay $45,000 for the project.
If the total costs exceed the $190,000, however, the city would also be responsible for expenses beyond the total. If the total cost was $195,000, the city would then be responsible for $100,000, minus the labor and equipment from Caribou Public Works.
These numbers are only hypothetical, and the total cost to the city will not be known until the project is finished.
The second layer will be applied next week, and during this time Ouellette said that numerous workers will be on the road, which will cause delays in traffic.
“We will be directing traffic as best as we can,” he said, “A lot of men will be working and if there’s any detour you can take, that will be appreciated. A little bit of patience today will give us a good road tomorrow.”
