AUBURN – Downtown residents will get an early peek Tuesday at a Main Street paving project tentatively scheduled to begin in August.

Crews from the Maine Department of Transportation will rebuild the entire stretch of Main Street between Academy and Court streets. That will involve grinding off the old pavement, putting down new asphalt and resurfacing most of the sidewalks.

The Mechanics Row intersection will get special attention, said Atlee Mousseau, state road designer.

“That will get a full reconstruction, the rest of it will be basic rebuilding,” he said.

State engineers will present plans for the project at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Auburn Hall.

“We’re at a pretty finished stage in designing this now,” Mousseau said. “What we’re going to show the public is a substantially complete plan, but we want to get their feedback and find out what they expect. We’ll still be able to make some minor changes.”

Mousseau said he expects the state to begin taking bids for the project in July. Work should begin in August.

“And we’ll finish it up next spring, if we have to,” he said. “We’d like to complete it this year if we can, and if the weather cooperates. But we should be able to get most of the work done this fall, and then come back and finish it next year.”