Spring, summer and fall are the obvious seasons for road repair and construction. We live in Auburn and work in Lewiston, so we travel the major roads and have noticed a few things.
Court Street in Auburn was redone less than seven years ago. Within that first year, tar and curbs were already lifting and peeling. Now it is being done again, hopefully with better results.
Ash Street in Lewiston was done last year. It is being ruined by pipe work on Bartlett Street that will be “fixed” by a long patch across the street.
A turning lane has been added in Auburn by the new bank, that had previously been removed.
A part of College Street in Lewiston was repaired and tarred last year and, a while ago, there was work being done on the corner at Pettingill Street.
We are not criticizing the people who put in many hours of hard work on the roads. They are out there in all conditions and temperatures and are to be commended. We just wonder about the planning behind those projects. Maybe improved communication between public works, water and sewerage departments would help so that any pipe work can be coordinated with tarring.
It is understandable that when pipe issues occur in the winter, they have to be dealt with immediately.
As taxpayers, we question the leadership and planning of all of those projects. We suggest regular meetings between departments involved to coordinate short- and long-term goals.
Dee and Carol Dumais, Auburn
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