By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer
ALLY LANASA/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
The repaving of Showell Street in Berlin is among the completed projects being conducted to improve many streets and sidewalks in town.
(Aug. 13, 2020) The Berlin Mayor and Council will be able to expand the work of the street improvement projects while remaining within budget.
As of Monday, the following street improvement projects have been completed: Harrison Avenue, Tingle Road, Upshur Lane, Middle Street, Buckingham Road, Cape Circle, East Burley Street, the north part of Flower Street, East Railroad Avenue, Flower Street going toward Oceans East subdivisions, Showell Street, Purnell Avenue, west Germantown Road and Bottle Branch Road.
The contract for the street repairs was roughly $349,000, which turned out to be $201,000 less than the $550,000 the town budgeted for the improvements.
Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood investigated the cost of additional street repairs and sidewalk concrete work, specifically to fix safety issues in Walnut Hill.
“I am well aware of some folks being hurt out there,” he said.
There are different elevations in the sidewalks in Walnut Hill because of tree roots, Fleetwood added.
Other significant concrete work will occur on Pitts Street, Commerce Street and the aprons on Flower Street at Henry Park.
The current contracted company offered a bid of about $31,000 for the sidewalk repairs.
Fleetwood said the streets to be repaved are Branch Street, Hudson Street, Flower Street by Dr. William Henry Park, Evans Road, Grace Street, Decatur Street Extended and Mill Road based on the inspections of roadways by Davis, Bowen and Friedel.
Mayor Gee Williams said the additional work for streets and sidewalks would total about $150,000.
The total expenses of the projects would approximately be $500,400 with the additional work Fleetwood recommends, the mayor said.
“We’re getting, I’ll say, about 40 percent more streets work done than we originally had hoped for or planned for plus the significant sidewalk improvements,” Williams added.