(June 22, 2017) Design work for repairs on Baker Street in Berlin are due back soon from engineering firm Davis, Bowen & Friedel Inc., and construction could start during the next few months.
Town Administrator Laura Allen expects that “any day now” and said the firm would assist with the bidding process.
The Berlin Town Council in April approved the first phase of an estimated $120,000 project to restore Baker Street, the last oyster shell road in the town. In a separate measure, the council voted to ban large trucks on the street.
If all goes well, Allen said construction could start by the end of the summer.
“I’m not sure we want to start any sooner because of the number of events and folks that we have coming to downtown,” she said. “I understand the folks that live on Baker Street are very anxious to get their street repaired. I’m just thinking maybe with the folks that we’ve got coming into town, it might make more sense to start after Labor Day.”
Allen said the town has patched some potholes on the adjacent Harrison Avenue, and water and sewer repairs near the railroad tracks there were planned.
Road closure signs currently on Harrison Avenue are related to the installation of water and sewer lines for the new Berlin Library. Allen said that work was estimated to last about a week.
The long-term plan for Harrison Avenue is to straighten out the road, Allen said.
“That been articulated as the ultimate goal and I think it makes a lot of sense,” she said. “That intersection is kind of a challenge – if you’re traveling on Harrison towards Broad [Street] and you want to make a right, I don’t think it’s ideal.
“There’s some expense associated with purchasing property or right-of-way to be able to do a realignment there, but that is definitely on the long-range radar screen,” she added.
The Adkins Company closed part of Harrison Avenue for about a year, but took down several barricades last month after turn-of-the-century documents were discovered that appeared show the town has a legal right-of-way claim to the entire street.
Allen said she and Adkins Executive Vice President Richard Holland discussed the condition of the road, but town officials have not restarted negotiations to purchase the Adkins portion of Harrison Avenue since the barricade was removed.
Town Administrator Laura Allen expects that “any day now” and said the firm would assist with the bidding process.
The Berlin Town Council in April approved the first phase of an estimated $120,000 project to restore Baker Street, the last oyster shell road in the town. In a separate measure, the council voted to ban large trucks on the street.
If all goes well, Allen said construction could start by the end of the summer.
“I’m not sure we want to start any sooner because of the number of events and folks that we have coming to downtown,” she said. “I understand the folks that live on Baker Street are very anxious to get their street repaired. I’m just thinking maybe with the folks that we’ve got coming into town, it might make more sense to start after Labor Day.”
Allen said the town has patched some potholes on the adjacent Harrison Avenue, and water and sewer repairs near the railroad tracks there were planned.
Road closure signs currently on Harrison Avenue are related to the installation of water and sewer lines for the new Berlin Library. Allen said that work was estimated to last about a week.
The long-term plan for Harrison Avenue is to straighten out the road, Allen said.
“That been articulated as the ultimate goal and I think it makes a lot of sense,” she said. “That intersection is kind of a challenge – if you’re traveling on Harrison towards Broad [Street] and you want to make a right, I don’t think it’s ideal.
“There’s some expense associated with purchasing property or right-of-way to be able to do a realignment there, but that is definitely on the long-range radar screen,” she added.
The Adkins Company closed part of Harrison Avenue for about a year, but took down several barricades last month after turn-of-the-century documents were discovered that appeared show the town has a legal right-of-way claim to the entire street.
Allen said she and Adkins Executive Vice President Richard Holland discussed the condition of the road, but town officials have not restarted negotiations to purchase the Adkins portion of Harrison Avenue since the barricade was removed.