LEWISTON – Four different intersections along Russell Street will be widened and repaved this summer, according to the state.

The Maine Department of Transportation intends to redesign about a half-mile of Russell Street between the Vietnam Veterans Bridge and Robinson Gardens. That includes adding turning lanes at Central Avenue and College Road.

“Basically, we’ve been wanting to do work at four different intersections there for a long time,” said project manager Jim Ferguson of the Maine DOT. “We’ve finally combined them into one big project, all designed to make the Russell Street corridor more efficient.”

Russell Street is a busy street because it feeds directly onto the Vietnam Veterans Bridge, across the river and into the Auburn Mall and retail area. It’s a four-lane road that forces traffic to stop behind anyone turning into Central Avenue, Bardwell Street or College Road.

The redesign will widen the entire length of Russell Street, essentially adding a lane. A median will take up most of that new lane, except in front of the busiest intersections. The state is adding a dedicated turn lanes there.

“That will take most of the turning traffic out of the way of the main flow of traffic,” he said.

The median will stop people from turning left out of driveways and smaller side streets.

“And eliminating that cross-over traffic makes it safer,” he said.

Ferguson said the state plans to open bids on the project by June, with work tentatively beginning in July. He expects the work to continue into the fall and wrap up the following summer, in 2009.