Bridge replacement, road widening and sewer work set to begin; ballroom renovation closes under budget

Council members gave updates on several Lewiston infrastructure projects during the March 18 meeting.

Bridge and roads: The state is replacing the Trenton (Old Truss) Bridge, and council members warned residents to expect a multi-month complete closure for construction. “It’s not gonna be convenient for anybody, but holy cow. We’ve wanted a new bridge there for years and years,” Mayor Hall said. Officials said the new bridge will be two lanes.

A separate county-funded project will continue widening and repaving a stretch of County Road (referred to in the meeting as 1600/Conference Road). Stake survey stakes have been set and officials said they plan to apply for Council of Governments (COG) funding to remove old asphalt, re-compact the base and repave; the new cross-section was described as approximately 26 feet wide for the phase under consideration. The mayor said property owners along the road will receive notice before significant work begins and that the project could take multiple years to complete.

Sewer: Public-works staff reported installation work at the sewer lift station, including piling and dewatering operations. Officials said the site work involves deep dewatering — crews reported “22 feet in the ground” of water — and that by-pass pumping is in operation while improvements proceed.

Ballroom and municipal facilities: Mayor Hall praised public-works staff for the ballroom renovation, reporting the project came in roughly $1,000 under the budgeted amount. Council members also discussed replacing chairs for the ballroom and the possibility of declaring old chairs surplus for residents to pick up.

Council members said they will notify residents about likely lane closures and timelines as state and county schedules are finalized.