Construction throughout the downtown Lewiston area can be seen in many of these aerial photos taken Wednesday afternoon. Adjacent to the bus station Bates Street is the laydown yard for St. Laurent & Son as they complete the Middle, Blake and Main Streets water valve installation project. The main water line on Main Street was installed in 1851.

Lewiston has upgraded the integrity of the pipe to like-new condition by re-cementing and lining it in the past 10 years. However, all the valves in the water main need to be replaced for it to continue to function.

The project presents difficult challenges for the contractor because multiple utilities, including natural gas, sewer, stormwater, telephone and electrical, are in the way.

Once the pavement on Main Street has been ripped up, the crew has to cut through cobblestone and old trolley tracks before digging down to the valves.

The project also includes replacing the water main on Middle and Blake streets by means of pipe bursting. Ninety percent of the Main Street section will be completed before this winter, then the project will be shut down and the side streets will be completed next summer.

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