CARIBOU, Maine — City Manager Dennis Marker updated councilors on Feb. 11 about the progress of repairs to the heavily damaged River Road as well as High Street, which also is in need of repaving and rehabilitation.
Rain and runoff in the spring of 2018 caused the River Road to split apart, with portions of the road sinking toward the Aroostook River. Since then, the city has bought homes on the damaged portion of the roadway and reopened a section for motorists to travel at their own risk. Jersey barriers line the potentially unstable portion of the road and motorists are able to travel on the now city-owned lawns in this small area to avoid getting too close to the river.
Representatives of the local engineering firm DuBois and King have since presented councilors with four options for repairing the roadway, and the consensus was the least expensive alternative: moving the road east, further away from the river. This option is estimated to cost $1.2 million and involves demolishing three of the acquired homes.
In January, councilors approved an additional contract with DuBois and King for $119,000 for a topographic survey with detailed reconstruction specifications, and for the firm to obtain the proper environmental permitting, assist with the bidding process, as well as provide construction administration, technical oversight and quality assurance. With this contract, the city is expected to issue bids for the project earlier in the year, around March or April.
Marker said during the Feb. 11 meeting that the contract had been signed and the firm had completed its survey work. He added that while the city budgeted $150,000 toward River Road repairs this year, that funding will cover the contract costs but not any construction work, and the city is beyond the time frame to receive bond funding through the Maine Municipal Bond Bank this spring. A second round of bond bank financing, according to Marker, will occur this summer, with the funds becoming available in the fall.
Because of this, he said the city will need to float construction payments until that bond can be secured.
For High Street, Marker said the Maine Department of Transportation has sent out notices that the project is anticipated for this summer, but bid requests have not yet been issued. He added that Public Works Director Dave Ouellette is “coordinating with region offices on plans for the city’s portion of the work.”
Councilors did not need to take any action the two road issues discussed, as the items were part of a series of updates from the city manager that Mayor Mark Goughan recently requested.
“This is something I’ve asked the city manager to do during council meetings to keep us informed,” Goughan said. “We’d like to hear what administrators and staff are working on. Nothing on the report requires any action tonight, and that’s how we’d like it presented. If it requires action, then we’d like it as an agenda item.”
