PERU — Selectmen will ask voters in a straw poll June 14 whether they want sidewalks from the yet-to-be-replaced Androscoggin River Bridge to the intersection of North Main Street and Route 108.
The board voted unanimously Monday night to take the question to voters in a nonbinding poll.
Chairman Larry Snowman pointed out that no taxpayer money would be involved in the construction of the sidewalks. It would be part of the Maine Department of Transportation’s Bicycle and Pedestrian program.
Selectman Jim Pulsifer suggested that the straw poll question include language explaining that the town would be responsible for maintaining the sidewalks.
Town Clerk Vera Parent said that the question would “give people a chance to know what’s going on, even though it’s just a straw poll.”
The plan to replace the 85-year-old bridge began in 2014 when the MDOT declared the bridge was structurally deficient.
Public meetings were held in Mexico and Peru in 2014 to discuss the preliminary designs for the project. The project gained momentum after Gov. Paul LePage announced his $470 million transportation improvement plan in January 2015, which included $11.1 million to replace the Androscoggin River Bridge.
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