Route One Project - Weekly Update (9-15-15)

FALMOUTH ROUTE ONE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

Construction Update #53 – September 15, 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:

Work in the Route One Infrastructure Project zone this week will begin at approximately 7:00 a.m. and last until approximately 4:30 p.m., though some work may last into early evening for the next few days.  Pike Industries is scheduled to be in the work zone at approximately 10 p.m. this evening (Tuesday) to adjust a small section of pavement adjacent to the traffic island near McDonald’s and Pratt Abbott. This work should require less than an hour and is being done to correct a water run-off issue. Other than this, no night work is anticipated.

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

Barring the unexpected, this will be the final week of major work along the Route One corridor. Some minor punch-list items may remain into next week.

WORK CURRENTLY UNDERWAY OR COMPLETED:

Preparation for final setup work of biofilters
Finish paving at the Maine Medical Center driveway
Pavement stamping around the center islands (see photos below).
Installation of perennial plants in the traffic islands.

WORK YOU’RE LIKELY TO SEE THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON:

Continued pavement stamping. The stamping crew is working south to north.
Continued planting in traffic islands; most of this work should be complete by this afternoon.
Cleaning of stormwater catch basins to remove sand and other debris. This work involves a specialized vacuum truck; the right-hand lane will be partially occupied as this work is underway.
Moulison North will be onsite Wednesday through Friday doing touch-up work on traffic and pedestrian light poles and traffic signal poles, and to check on several street lamps that aren’t functioning properly. Moulison is also scheduled to do final programming of the traffic signals at Bucknam Road on Thursday.
Final installation of biofilters, including adding some filter medium and riprap. After this work is done, the biofilters will be planted with a variety of species of perennial plants, including day lilies, purple cone flower, cat mint, Russian sage, black-eyed Susans, bottom joy sedum, feather reed grass and Shenandoah switchgrass.
All planted areas, including traffic islands and biofilters, will be covered with bark mulch once planting is complete. This work is currently scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
Additional punch list items, mostly involving work at individual business entrances and drives.

WORK YOU’RE LIKELY TO SEE NEXT WEEK

Finalization of any projects remaining from this week
Pouring foundations for the banner poles at the south end of the project.

WORK YOU’RE LIKELY TO SEE IN THE FUTURE:

There are a few items remaining for this autumn and next spring. The banner poles will likely be delivered and installed in mid-October; audible warnings for pedestrian crossings are likely to be installed in November.

In the spring, you can expect to see landscaping work resume, especially the planting of shade trees (replacing those that failed to thrive this year, and installing the Sargent cherry trees. These were included in the project design but landscape suppliers were unable to provide them as specified this year.

This newsletter will return next week for a wrap-up report.

PHOTOGRAPHS:

This is the pavement stamping crew from the Rocco Iadorolo Company. That’s Mr. Iadorolo in the OSHA-compliant cowboy hat (yes, it really IS a hard-hat!). We see this artisan crew is laying down a special adhesive, which will be topped with a special resin-infused fabric. The pavement is heated, and a special metal grid is placed atop all. Special equipment then rolls over the grid, pressing it and the fabric into the asphalt.

Here’s that grid we mentioned. Once it’s lifted off the stamped area, the result looks just like brick! Note that this island has already been planted with perennial plants.

This is the traffic island at the south end of the project zone. In addition to low perennial flowers, this island sports two maple trees. The island at the north end of the project, near the Foreside Tavern and Norway Savings Bank, will have Sargent cherry trees planted in it next spring.

Here we see a landscaping crew installing day lilies in the traffic islands at Bucknam Road. The planted islands are being watered regularly.