By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

NORWAY – Sidewalk and street improvements for Marston and School streets should soon be under way, Norway Town Manager David Holt said Tuesday.

Holt said the Board of Selectmen on Thursday awarded a preliminary contract for $111,131 to Professional Construction Services of Livermore. The town is in the process of seeing whether it can lower the project’s cost by purchasing its own pavement, he said.

“We can buy pavement cheaper this year than the contractor can,” Holt explained.

Part of the work will be paid for by a grant from the Maine Department of Transportation, he said. Because the grant comes with a number of restrictions, the town may be prevented from buying the pavement.

Holt said the town is expected to sign a final contract with Professional Construction Services next week.

“We want to get this under way as soon as school gets out and completed before school starts (in the fall),” he said.

In February, the Board of Selectmen approved a plan to make Marston Street one way from Main Street to Tannery Street, provide parking on the west side and a sidewalk on the east side of Marston Street, and provide sidewalks on both sides of School Street.

The plan also calls for the widening of School Street to improve school bus access to Guy E. Rowe Elementary School.

The Department of Transportation grant totals $64,000, Holt said. Combined with matching funds from the town, $80,000 is available for the project. Holt also has said he expects the remainder of money to be in the town’s sidewalk account.

His only concern, he said Tuesday, is that any paving could be delayed due to an exceptionally wet spring. Many paving companies are behind schedule now, he said.