LEWISTON – Crews will try to keep Lincoln Street traffic delays to a minimum when they begin a $1.98 million road reconstruction project there later this month.

Pratt and Sons are scheduled to begin the work on Monday, Aug. 23. It will begin at the Main Street intersection and work south to Cross Street. Work will continue through the fall, and should reach Cedar Street by November.

“The way it’s designed, they won’t close the street down at all,” said Michael Lepage, project engineer for the city. “In fact, they should keep two lanes open at all times. If they have to go down to one lane, they’ll have a flagger.

The project calls for removing the existing pavement and gravel, putting in new drainage and rebuilding the road.

“At least everything should have at least one layer of asphalt down,” Lepage said. “They won’t be driving on dirt. Every part of that road that gets disturbed will have some asphalt on it.”

Crews will work one section at a time. The city will limit parking along Lincoln Street during the work. Through traffic won’t be detoured, but signs will encourage drivers to go around the work areas.

The project will continue after the winter, moving to Cedar Street. Crews also will build new sidewalks and curbs and put in new streetlights and landscaping along Lincoln and Cedar streets in the spring.

Pratt and Sons, a Mechanic Falls construction firm, was awarded the low bid on Wednesday, according to Maine Department of Transportation project manager Heath Cowan. The city of Lewiston is managing the project for the state.