A tractor-trailer drives Thursday straight through the intersection of Lisbon and Main streets in Lisbon Falls. Town councilors are debating reworking the intersection, which is too tight for larger vehicles to turn. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

LISBON — A spokesman for the Maine Department of Transportation presented a plan for upgrades and redesign to the Canal Street intersection along Route 196 to the Town Council on Tuesday.

Canal Street continues past the former Worumbo Mill and crosses the Androscoggin River into Durham. The intersection features a stoplight as it crosses Route 196 and turns into Route 125, also known as Main Street.

According to town officials and the Maine DOT, tractor-trailer trucks cannot turn right onto Canal Street because of the tightness of the intersection and nearby utility poles.

Ross Cunningham, the economic and community development director, told the council that he recently saw an 18-wheeler turn left on School Street from Route 196 and then turn right on Main Street before crossing Route 196 onto Canal Street. When he called the truck’s company to inquire why the driver did that, Cunningham said he was told that all the company’s drivers do that because they cannot turn right onto Canal Street from Route 196.

Cunningham added that truck drivers heading toward Lewiston will skip turning left on Canal Street and make the same School Street-to-Main Street loop to get onto Canal Street.

With more events being held in the field along the river where the mill once stood, traffic is getting more congested in the area.

The DOT official told councilors the intersection is not functional as designed. The agency could form a village partnership initiative to help enhance safety and promote economic growth. According to statistics, the intersection is not a high-crash location.

The town would need to hire an independent consultant for about $70,000, split evenly with DOT. Town Manager Glenn Michalowski said the town has money for such a study.

The DOT indicated the consultant’s work, which would include public hearings, could take 12-18 months.

In order to widen Canal Street, the town could remove the train tracks that run along the side of the road, but that would increase the cost considerably.

Once the project is finalized, the cost to redesign the intersection would be split three ways — 80% federal, 10% state and 10% local — according to the DOT official.

The council took no action Tuesday on whether to proceed or not.

In other business, the town accepted a $5,000 donation to the Lisbon Parks and Recreation Department from a person to help pay for summer day camp fees.

The board also authorized the town manager and fire chief to pursue obtaining a state EMS transportation license with Lisbon Emergency. The Fire Department would lease the vehicle from Lisbon Emergency. Officials said it would provide better patient care.

At the workshop before the meeting, the board discussed its goals. Those included a new public safety building, including land acquisition; work with organizations such as schools and the Water District to consolidate services, support staff and leadership; form a charter commission; and public communications, which would include a new town website.

Michalowski reported the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to reimburse the town for damages caused by the December 2023 storm. Lisbon spent about $200,000 and will receive nearly $180,000 from the federal agency.