WINDHAM — The old stone walls that lined the far end of London Bridge Road have been pushed back and toppled, making room for the road's widening.

In the end, the walls, about 800 feet in total on both sides of the road, will be reassembled, according to the town highway agent.

Residents along the road are taking a wait-and-see attitude regarding how the walls end up.

"I don't mind them opening this up, but I want to see this nice," Guy Champigny said, pointing to the sprawled stones fronting his property.

Highway agent Jack McCartney, working on the road project Tuesday, said the wall will be restored to its traditional look.

"They should have what they had — or better," McCartney said.

Champigny wants the walls back up to preserve the rural character, some semblance of what was once a quiet, tree-shaded lane accessible only by Castle Hill Road.

But soon the road will connect to Route 111, via the new high school's emergency access section and mile-long road to the high school.

People who live on this far end of London Bridge Road are disappointed to see the quiet lane widened and connected to Route 111.

Some are upset.

Earlier this summer, selectmen voted to spend $263,000 in budgeted road maintenance funds for work on the half-mile section and Marblehead Road. The roads were scheduled for improvements — not explicitly widening — for two years.

Selectmen approved the work for this year so it coincides with the access road construction, and supports safe travel to and from the high school, especially when buses roll in each direction.

Construction on the Castle Hill Road end started the last week of July and is scheduled to finish about the second week in September, McCartney said.

The work is being done by three town employees and contractor Devlin Construction. They are widening the road to 28 feet — 24 feet of pavement and 2-foot-shoulders — and replacing three culvert crossings to improve drainage.

The cut trees and dug-up sections in mid-construction looked a bit shocking to resident Barbara Lessard.

It seemed like the crew had widened the road more than she expected in some places, she said. McCartney said those areas needed to be widened to create proper slopes.

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