RANGELEY – Construction vehicles are everywhere and the dust is flying on Saddleback Mountain as work continues on a $3.5 million expansion.

A new three-story lodge, more trails and snow-making, and a new chairlift are planned for the coming season.

Tom McAllister, general manager for the mountain, said Thursday that officials considered keeping at least one trail open for hikers wanting to get to the Appalachian Trail, which runs along the eastern side of Saddleback, but there is just too much going on to be able to ensure people’s safety. So owners chose to close all trails leading to the top from the ski area.

However, temporary loss of the trails may be tempered for some by the promise of an improved ski area. Six new trails, a larger lodge with twice the seating capacity and a new chairlift are some of the improvements. Greater snow-making capacity is also a component of the expansion.

This year’s construction costs are estimated to be $3.5 million to $4 million, according to John Cannizzaro, planning and development manager for the resort.

Saddleback enthusiasts who are worried that the rough-hewn timbers of the former lodge will be lost to “progress” should not fret. The new look will still include the traditional ski lodge ambiance, only the lodge will be larger. The three-story structure will sport a two-story, six-foot-wide fireplace, with mountain and lake views through massive walls of glass. It will also have a deck, a nursery to accommodate up to 20 children, a gift shop, locker room and the usual amenities.

Bill and Irene Berry, the mountain’s owners, along with their seven children, expect to spend about $30 million over the next three to five years, most of that going to a 125-unit hotel, Cannizzaro said.

Though the hotel is in the early stages of design, planners hope to be able to include a full conference center, restaurant and lounge and two swimming pools. They are also considering a nearby tubing park and ice skating pavilion.

“Bill’s emphasis is on a family-oriented wilderness experience,” McAllister said Thursday. The new season is scheduled to get under way Dec. 18. “Come hell or lake water,” Cannizzaro said.