The Maine Department of Transportation included the path in its six-year plan.
By Scott Taylor
Staff Writer

AUBURN -The city can bank on up to $400,000 in federal transportation funds to build a walking path under Longley Bridge.

Now it’s up to the city and the Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center to come up with a design for the path to connect Festival Plaza and the Riverwalk with West Pitch Park and the Hilton Garden Inn.

“There’s no timeline set, but it is an official project with the state,” Economic Development Director Roland Miller said. “The first step is always getting the funding, and we would like to get it done as soon as possible. We’re finishing up work at Festival Plaza, and we should be tearing down the gray cinder-block building soon, so that area will be ready.”

The Maine Department of Transportation included the path in its six-year plan in January. The department announced last week that the project qualified for $400,000 federal and state money as part its two-year improvements budget. Don Craig of the Transportation Resource Center said the city needs to pay about $44,000 towards the project get the state and federal money.

Officials from Craig’s organization and from the city need to design the project now, and submit it to the transportation department for final approval.

“The state usually manages most of these projects from that point,” Miller said. “They can defer to the city and let us step in and do the work, but most run right out of the department.”

staylor@sunjournal.com