NORWAY— The town of Norway will share with the state a $1.2 million bond for road repairs, it was decided at Annual Town Meeting this past Monday.

The the project will be financed for five years at approximately five-percent from the Maine Municipal Bond Bank. The $1.2 million will cover engineering, oversight, repaving and improving town roads and streets. The bond is not to exceed the $1.2 million.

According to the Town Meeting Warrant, the project will have an estimated interest rate of 1.5-percent over a five-year period, which will make the final cost of the project $1,256,670. About $400,000 of the bond will go toward fixing Lower Main Street, while the rest will go toward other road projects.

“It’s so hard to keep up with our road needs,” David Holt, the town manager, said.

The bond was first proposed by the town manager to the selectboard earlier this year. One of the biggest projects that the $1.2 million will tackle is the repair of Lower Main Street, the road in front of Stephens Memorial Hospital. The sidewalks need to be reconstructed and drains need to be fixed to ensure that there won’t be any flooding.

Upper Main Street is another project that the selectboard considered. Holt agrees that it is in rough condition but said that it would be disruptive to the local shops on Main Street during the busy summer months. It is a project that may be done in the future because of how much time it will take.

“It needs to be done, don’t get me wrong,” said Holt. “It just needs a lot of planning.”

Some of the roads that are being looked at to have overlays, or a fresh layer of pavement, added are Crockett Ridge Road and Frost Hill Road.

Although residents had been asking about fixing Roberts Road this year, Holt said that it is not a project that is currently being looked at.

“That’s the plan right now,” said Holt about putting the road on the back burner. “That doesn’t mean that the plans can’t be changed.”


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