LEWISTON — Widening the intersection at Lincoln and Locust streets to make it easier for turning traffic will cost $20,000 more than expected.

The city opened bids on the project, one of two aimed at making Lincoln Street wider and able to handle more traffic.

Gendron and Gendron had the low bid of $283,425. City project engineer Jeffrey Beaule said the budget was about $264,000.

“We should have some money left over from the other Lincoln Street project, so we can use that, I think,” Beaule said.

Contractors St. Laurent and Sons and Longchamps and Sons submitted bids as well, both coming in at more than $300,000.

The city’s Finance Committee is scheduled to meet Monday to review the three bids. If approved by the city and the Maine Department of Transportation, work will begin later this summer. Beaule said the intersection work should done by Nov. 1, although the longer Lincoln Street widening project will continue through July 2012.

The Locust Street intersection project will widen the turning radius there, making it easier for turning trucks to navigate.

Gendron and Gendron also won the bid for the longer-term Lincoln Street widening project. That project will add about 8 feet of width from the bridge over Gully Brook to near South Avenue. Where possible, Beaule said the road was widened on the river side.

Crews from Gendron and Gendron began digging up Lincoln Street this week to install new road drains, build new retaining walls and move utility poles.

Work to remove all of the old pavement and put down new asphalt should begin in September. In addition to new drainage, plans call for two new retaining walls along the project — one along the river side of Lincoln Street near Merton Boulevard and a second near South Avenue. The road will get granite curbs, but no new sidewalks.

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