LEWISTON – Officials picked a former Lewiston highway superintendent to lead the Public Works Department.

The city has hired Paul Boudreau, effective Sept. 16. He will replace Dave Jones, who has assumed the position of public services director. That position was recently vacated by Chris Branch, who resigned from the city to join a local engineering firm.

Boudreau worked for Lewiston for 28 years, until 1999. He spent the past five years in Westbrook as that city’s public works director.

“I’m still pretty familiar with the infrastructure in Lewiston,” Boudreau said. “I think that’s going to be a real asset for me, and for getting projects done smoothly and on time.”

He was selected from a pool of 14 applicants by a team made up of city councilors, department heads and union officials. City Administrator Jim Bennett, Westbrook’s administrator before he came to Lewiston, said he is pleased with the choice.

“I am confident that he will perform in an outstanding fashion for the city of Lewiston and its citizens,” Bennett said.

Boudreau joined the Lewiston department in 1971, working as highway foreman and senior foreman before being named the highway superintendent in 1989.

In Westbrook, he led projects such as the installation of a major pump station and a new pressure main, full reconstruction of many streets, reconstruction of a badly deteriorated pedestrian footbridge and the construction of Westbrook’s first 540-space parking garage.