Town outlines Sept. 2 start, traffic controls and PFAS safeguards for Surfside road reconstruction

Town officials on Aug. (public session) laid out plans to begin construction Sept. 2 on the Surfside area transportation enhancements project, a roughly 2.3-mile reconstruction of Lovers Lane, Orkawa Avenue and Monahansett Road that includes a 10-foot shared-use path, a closed stormwater drainage system with multiple subsurface infiltration chambers, utility relocations and measures to manage PFAS-contaminated soils adjacent to the airport.

The presentation and public comment period focused on timing, safety and neighborhood impacts. The town said the $18,800,000 project was advertised in March, bid in April, approved at a town meeting in May and awarded to CC Construction in June, and that work will generally occur Monday–Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; officials estimated substantial completion in the 2026–27 winter season. "It's an $18,800,000 project. We're literally moving roads over," Drew, director of public works, said during the meeting.

Why this matters: the project rebuilds narrow, partially unpaved roads into paved, multiuse corridors and is likely to change how drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians use the Surfside connectors to Old South Road and the boulevard. Residents said they fear higher speeds after paving and sought additional calming, crosswalks and intersection control beyond the design presented.

Officials described key design elements: 10-foot travel lanes (two lanes), asphalt berms, a…