AUBURN – Main Street merchants and city officials will get a look Wednesday night at the state’s plans to reconstruct the road.

The city will host an informational meeting for Main Street merchants and residents to discuss the paving project beginning at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Auburn Hall community room.

Community Services Director Eric Labelle said the state Department of Transportation-led project is scheduled to begin Monday and should last throughout the summer.

The plan calls for narrowing Main Street between Elm and Drummond streets from 45 feet to 38 feet. The sides would get a grassy esplanade, dividing the sidewalk from the road. The city also hopes to install new street lights south along the street.

The biggest change would come at the intersection with Mechanics Row. Traffic coming south now stops at Main Street, yielding to northbound Main Street traffic.

Labelle said crews from K&K Excavating are scheduled to close Main Street between Court Street and Mechanics Row as part of the first phase. That should continue for six weeks, he said.

Crews should move to the section between Mechanics Row and Academy Street in mid-August, and remain there for the next month.

The city is paying for 15 percent of the project, with the Maine DOT picking up the remainder. The project is estimated to cost about $700,000.