Biddeford’s ‘Big Dig’ will begin in April

The seven-month project is expected to have a “significant impact” on local traffic

No matter how you slice it, there is no denying that a major road repair project will significantly impact traffic in Biddeford and Saco.

City officials are asking motorists in the two cities to prepare for significant delays, plan accordingly and try to be as patient as possible during the construction project.

Facing increasing pressure from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the city of Biddeford needs to upgrade a section of its stormwater and sewer infrastructure on a section of Elm Street (Rte. One).

The project will begin in early April and will extend from the intersection of Hooper and Elm streets (near the ‘Black Bridge”) and will continue southbound on Elm Street, past Main Street to Center Street in Biddeford.

While southbound traffic from Saco into Biddeford will not face detours, northbound traffic from Biddeford into Saco will all be redirected onto Main Street for the duration of the project.

The project is expected to take seven months to fully complete, meaning summer tourism traffic will also be impacted.

While the city works to upgrade its sewer separation systems, Maine Water will also use the opportunity to upgrade its infrastructure with new 16-inch water pipes in the construction area.

The project is expected to cost Biddeford roughly $3 million. Maine Water is expected to spend $2 million on its upgrades in the area.

Brace for impact

Biddeford Public Works Director Jeff Demers said the city knows the project will leave people feeling frustrated as they attempt to navigate between the two cities.

“We have been doing as much advance work as possible,” Demers said. “We are working closely with our counterparts in Saco. We have been studying traffic patterns and we’ll be adjusting timing of the traffic lights in downtown.”

During an informal public meeting about the project, City Engineer Craig Chekan said the project has been “in development” for more than a year.

“We really can’t put this project off any longer,” Chekan said. “The DEP is breathing down our necks to get this [sewer/stormwater separation] done.”

As part of the project, existing gas lines in the area will be removed and reconfigured.

During the construction, Hooper Street residents will still be able to receive city services, such as trash and recycling collection. But area residents will likely be impacted by noise as crews work through bedrock in the area.

Hooper Street resident Shawn O’Keefe attended Thursday’s meeting. When asked his opinion, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “It is what it is,” he said.

Demers said the project will be conducted during daytime hours to increase efficiency and save a significant amount of money.

“If we tried to do this at night, the project costs would be tripled,” Demers said.

But wait, there’s more

As the city tackles the Elm Street project, public works crews will begin their construction repair project of a retaining wall near the Riverwalk area on lower Main Street in Biddeford.

The parking lot at the North Dam Mill on lower Main Street will be closed so that city crews can get equipment in and out of the area.

Demers said the city was able to secure federal funding for the repair project, but said the city needs to move forward because of concerns regarding federal funding for local and state projects.

Delilah Poupore of Heart of Biddeford and Angie Presby of Saco Main Street attended Thursday’s meeting.

Both Poupore and Presby acknowledged that the project will have a significant impact on downtown businesses and downtown events.

“We’ll just have to pivot,” Presby said.

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