Stantec: South Main Street water project nearly complete; turf, granite and winter maintenance remain

Stantec engineer Jonathan (last name not provided) told the Select Board on July 19 that the South Main Street water‑main project is approximately 99% finished, with about $5,000 held back for final turf establishment and punch‑list items. The project team reported unexpected underground infrastructure, saturated soils and weather delays that extended the working days modestly; those items and several change orders are under review. Contractor Dawson’s finished the bulk of the work and the project is under budget by roughly $450,000 compared with the engineer’s original estimate; the town’s share of the final cost is approximately 38%. Stantec said the project required extra dewatering, added night shifts and additional remediation in areas with historical underground storage tank concerns; those dewatering costs were bid daily and thus produced cost savings when fewer days were required. Jonathan said Stantec and Public Works are actively resolving turf establishment issues and a separate question of whether New Hampshire Department of Transportation will accept the rebuilt road for winter maintenance. A tentative final walkthrough with DOT was being scheduled; if DOT declines, the town could be responsible for winter plowing. Jonathan and staff also reported public complaints about temporary pavement conditions and granite curbing matching; the project team said they will follow up with the contractor to address trip hazards and aesthetic mismatches before final payment. The board asked that staff arrange a DOT walk‑through with Select Board members available and asked Stantec to return with final documentation, a punch‑list completion schedule and confirmation of the winter‑maintenance decision.