Route 1 Project - Weekly Update (7-7-15)

FALMOUTH ROUTE ONE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

Construction Update #44 – July 7, 2015

The following information reflects the latest available information regarding the Route One Infrastructure Project in Falmouth. Please note that forward-looking information is based upon projections and is subject to change due to weather and other variables.

WORK HOURS:

Daily work in the Route One Infrastructure Project zone this week will begin at approximately 6:00 a.m. and last until approximately 4:30 p.m.  Night work for final utilities cutovers to individual businesses will also occur. Milling and road painting night work (see below) will begin at approximately 6:00 p.m. and continue until about 7:00 a.m.

 

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

Let’s start with the utilities. Most businesses along the corridor are now running on underground power. CMP will soon complete two remaining cutovers and is in the final stages of energizing all components of the underground service system.  Where possible, they continue to remove overhead service.

 

By the end of the day today, Fairpoint’s cutover work will be complete. They’ve already begun removing overhead service in many areas along the corridor (if you’ve noticed fewer lines crossing Route One lately, that is the reason). Pole removal will begin next week and should take five days. Time Warner Cable and Oxford Networks currently plan to complete their cutovers next Wednesday (July 15).

 

We’re pleased to report that milling of the roadway (prepping it for new paving) is progressing on schedule. By Friday morning, the paving preparation work should be complete. That sets the stage for temporary road striping and the installation of traffic islands. Paving is scheduled for the week of July 27.

 

A word about landscaping: we’ve heard from several town residents (and we thank them!) who expressed concern about the appearance of some of the new trees.  We, and the contractors, are aware of this concern and are working to ensure these trees are adequately watered. While we’re hopeful it won’t happen, it’s not unusual with a project of this scale to lose a few trees, which is why there’s a one-year warranty built into the landscaping contract.

 

Also on the topic of trees: after an extensive search, the Sargent Cherry trees selected by the planning committee won’t be available this year because the specs called for a very specific size. These trees will be planted next spring.

 

WORK CURRENTLY UNDERWAY:

As of Tuesday, July 7, crews were working on – or have completed – the following:

  • Utilities cutovers.
  • Installation of pedestrian lighting along sidewalks.
  • Roadway milling.
  • Removal of some overhead utility lines.
  • Mast arm installation at Clearwater and Depot Road intersections.

 

WORK YOU’RE LIKELY TO SEE THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON:

  • Continued installation of pedestrian lighting.
  • Continued installation of mast arms (timing in some locations is subject to movement of telecommunications cabling).
  • Continued road milling.
  • Temporary road striping (currently scheduled during the Thursday/Friday overnight).
  • You can expect to see some trenching from the west side of Route One to the locations of forthcoming center pedestrian islands, as conduits are placed to provide electrical service to these locations. Two-way traffic will be maintained, with flaggers on hand to guide.

 

WORK YOU’RE LIKELY TO SEE EARLY NEXT WEEK:

  • You may expect to see utility companies removing a significant amount of obsolete cabling and poles next week.
  • Outlines and curbing for traffic islands is expected next week – probably starting Tuesday or Wednesday.
  • Installation of loop systems to control the new traffic signals.
  • Landscaping operations to resume, with loaming and seeding.
  • Installation of additional tactile warning strips at crosswalks.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS:

We’re looking west as crews mill the roadway surface in preparation for repaving. The milling work is progressing well; weather permitting, we expect it will be complete (with temporary road striping in place) on Friday.

 

This photo captures a significant milestone. Here, we see a senior crew member from CMP energizing one of the new switch gear assemblies that feeds the underground power system.

 

These are the new traffic signal mast arms at Clearwater Drive. Early next week, crews from Moulison North will begin installing the sensing systems that will control these into the roadway. Once the control systems are in place, the traffic signals will be aimed, energized, and the old cable-hung signals will be removed.