Recapping a Banner Year for Road Construction

At the December 8 City Council meeting, Public Works Director Matt Hill gave a detailed recap of the 2020 road construction projects in Sanford and Springvale, which were paid for by the $6.2 million bond voters approved in November 2019. He also spoke about the department’s plans for 2021 and goals for the future.

• Witcher’s Mill Road came in at a little over budget, as there were areas that needed some stabilization in addition to the planned overlay.
• Stanley Road and Stebbins Road were significantly over budget, as the scope of the projects was changed after the road bases were found to be in poorer condition than expected.
• Main Street was well under budget, as the scope of the project was changed to just the worst part of the roadway, from Farview to Old Mill Road. The paving material used was 1.5” polymer-modified hot mix asphalt, the same material used on the Maine Turnpike, which should give that section a long lifespan.
• Lebanon Street from Main to Cranberry Ridge came in a little under budget. The work included pothole patching, crack sealing and chip sealing.
• Twombley Road from Kimball to Old Mill was under budget, as the scope of the project was changed to address just the worst section of the road and issues that were discovered.
• Route 11A/Oak Street from Main to the Urban Compact line was reduced in scope as there were underlying drainage, infrastructure and other issues that need to be addressed before reconstruction can be done. The roadway was paved only, so was well under budget.
• Hanson’s Ridge Road from Deering Neighborhood to the city limits came in well under budget, as much of the prep work had already been done after a previous FEMA storm event.
• The originally planned Otis Allen Road project was not done after it was discovered that a resident has been running a loaded overweight vehicle up and down the road. There was concern that the reconstructed road would suffer damage if this continues.
• Instead of Otis Allen, funds were reallocated to Country Club Road #3. This resulted in the project being over budget.
• The department saved money on the State Court project by coordinating work with the Sanford Water and Sewer Districts.
• On Guillemette Street, coordination with Water and Sewer on part of the roadway saved some funds, but the section from George to Benoit was given a maintenance layer of paving only, as there are drainage issues there that are not yet resolved.
• Blanchard, Sunset and Sacapee Roads were reconstructed with most drainage culverts replaced. The projects were under budget.
• For reconstruction, Old Mill Road required coordination with utilities and Maine DOT. It came in right on budget, and more than a third of the cost will be reimbursed by the state.
• New Dam Road was well over budget as issues were discovered that required reconstruction rather than just overlay.
•  Grammar Street and Grammar Avenue had to be reconstructed at the same time due to drainage issues discovered, causing the project to be well over budget. The Water and Sewer Districts were also involved.

Overall, the projects were completed mostly on time and in total, on budget. Road maintenance and pavement preservation projects were also covered in the report.

The major projects planned for 2021 include Westside Village, which includes Kimball, Shaw and Prescott Streets, and parts of Twombley Road and Berwick Avenue; Railroad Avenue; Mount Hope Road; and an update of the department’s five-year plan.

Future plans include the Mousam Promenade, a 10’ wide multi-modal (bike/pedestrian) path around Number One Pond, and a possible reconfiguring of Central Park to create a “town green” in the middle, making it a more usable space.

Mayor Tom Cote commended Director Hill and his team for utilizing all available resources to accomplish so much in one year. “We were trending very much in the wrong direction the past four or five years,” he said, adding “This is the beginning, not the end…let’s keep the progress going.”

The full report can be viewed on the city’s website here.

The full City Council meeting video is here.

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