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City warns of Main Street impacts as Biddeford Elm Street sewer separation begins; Saco Bay symposium set for March 17
Summary
Biddeford’s Elm Street sewer separation and utility work will reroute northbound traffic onto Saco’s Main Street for several months; the city also announced the Saco Bay Symposium on March 17 addressing bay erosion.
City staff warned the Saco City Council on Monday that a sewer separation and utility replacement project in neighboring Biddeford will restrict traffic and shift northbound flows onto Saco’s Main Street later this spring.
Deputy Chief Huntress told the council his office has met with Biddeford Public Works about the Elm Street and Hooper Street project, which will replace a water main, gas main and install a new storm drain line. The work is scheduled to begin in April; Elm Street will be restricted to one lane beginning April 28, and the overall project is expected to take four to six months. Once Biddeford restricts northbound traffic, vehicles traveling northbound into Saco will be detoured onto Main Street, Deputy Chief Huntress said. The city has scheduled discussion of traffic safety options for the corridor with its Traffic Safety Committee.
Councillor Hatch asked whether the Maine Turnpike Authority could waive tolls during construction to encourage use of the turnpike as a connector; Deputy Chief Huntress said Biddeford public works had raised the same question but no waiver had been approved by the MTA to date.
City staff also announced that the sixth annual Saco Bay Symposium, co‑hosted by the City of Saco and Save Our Shores Saco Bay, will be held Monday, March 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Saco City Hall auditorium. Panelists will include government officials and scientists discussing the latest efforts to remediate erosion in Saco Bay; the event will be streamed on the city’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Staff said more details on Biddeford’s finalized construction schedule will be provided when Biddeford releases its construction plan. The council noted the potential impacts on events that use Saco’s Main Street and asked departments to coordinate with community event organizers as detours and traffic changes approach.
