LIVERMORE FALLS — The Select Board on Tuesday approved borrowing up to $50,000 for engineering and design work for a new sewer line along state Route 17.
The Maine Department of Transportation is expected put the road reconstruction project out to bid in March 2024. Work is estimated to start in July, Sewer Superintendent Mark Holt said.
The project will begin at the railroad crossing near the Union Street intersection and extend to Shuy Corner at the intersection of state routes 17 and 133, a distance of slightly more than a mile. The new line will be about 7,000 feet long.
The proposal by Wright-Pierce of Topsham engineers is $45,730, Holt said.
The state highway project requires the sewer system improvement to be seamlessly integrated into the state’s construction bid document. Wright-Pierce’s design development will require close coordination with state designers, according to the engineering firm’s letter sent to Holt.
The firm’s scope of work includes assisting the town in securing funding for the project, providing detailed design plans to be incorporated in the state’s bid document, and coordinating the sewer system design with scheduled improvements to be undertaken with the Livermore Falls Water District.
It is looking pretty good for getting grant money but there are no guarantees, Holt said.
Once permanent financing is secured, the loan would be paid off. Holt estimated the loan will probably be for 18 months.
Selectman Jim Long asked why $50,000 is needed if the engineering work is estimated to be $45,730.
Holt said there could be legal costs associated with the project.
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