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 minimum 6-foot grass strip next to a 10-foot shared-use path on Lovers Lane, and a 10-foot shared-use path on Orkawa and Monahansett with a 5-foot grass buffer. The team plans raised intersections at four locations (Lovers & Orkawa; Lovers & Rugged Road; Orkawa & Skyline; Webster & Monahansett), a median island south of Nancy Ann Lane, and a four-way stop at Orkawa and Monahansett to reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety. "We expect speeds at those intersections coupled with the increased visibility needs direction to really improve safety at those locations," Drew said.

Stormwater and soils: the project adds a closed drainage system with buried infiltration chambers and water-quality units intended to improve ponding and water quality; most chambers will be under the right-of-way, with one larger system on an easement on Lovers Lane sized to handle the bulk of stormwater. Officials said PFAS-contaminated soils in a section of Monahansett adjacent to the airport will be handled and disposed of per DEP requirements and contract specifications, with monitoring during construction.

Timeline and access: the contractor plans to begin site preparation and tree clearing in September, then relocate hydrants and utilities, install drainage infrastructure, rebuild road base and complete final paving and landscape work. The town emphasized there will be times when full, temporary road closures are necessary for deep excavations and storm-drain work, but the contractor committed to making work zones passable at the end of each workday and to coordinate emergency access, police details and school-bus routing. Officials said there will be no major construction in June–August to avoid peak summer traffic.

Property impacts and easements: easements (temporary construction and utility) were recorded Jan. 29, 2025, and some trees and front-yard features located outside the flagged limits will be cleared. The town said the contract includes line items to remove, stockpile on-site and replace drive features such as stone walls, Belgian blocks and driveway aprons; residents may remove and store such items themselves if they prefer.

Community concerns and town response: multiple residents cited repeated speeding and recent accidents on Lovers Lane and asked for more aggressive traffic-calming measures (stop signs, additional raised devices and midblock crosswalks). Officials responded that stop signs must meet MUTCD warrants and are not an appropriate traffic-calming device where not warranted, and that the chosen mix of narrower 10-foot lanes, raised intersections, median islands and sight-line easements are the professional engineering approach selected for this reconstruction. "Stop signs are used for control of intersections to have safe control. They're not a traffic-calming device," Zach Wasmith, design engineer and project manager from GPI, said. Officials added they will collect post-construction speed data and will consider additional measures if needed.

Other project administration: the town said it will post contract documents, the contractor's SWPPP and other plans to the project web page; GPI and the town will provide weekly and two-week look-ahead schedules to notify residents of work locations and detours. A full-time resident engineer will oversee construction and Roger from GPI will be the on-site point of contact. The town also said it will follow up with the post office about relocating mailboxes that sit at a hazardous corner.

What remains unresolved: residents pressed for specific midblock crosswalks and more immediate pre-paving speed data; officials said pre-paving speed counts on dirt roads are less reliable and that they plan to collect data after paving, then adapt if the data show unacceptable speeding or safety issues. Officials characterized implementation risk as medium because of permit coordination, PFAS soil handling, and seasonal paving constraints.

Next steps: construction is planned to start Sept. 2 with initial tree clearing and site setup; the town will distribute weekly updates and two-week look-aheads and post plans and contact information on the project web page. Residents were encouraged to subscribe to the town's road-closures email list and to contact the project manager for SWPPP or compliance concerns.