SALEM — With a busy summer of construction projects winding down, public works Director Rick Russell expects to be done with paving and other work — on time and on budget — by the end of the month.
"We're right on budget so far. We're not done yet, but it looks like we're going to get everything done," Russell said.
"I'm anticipating getting it all done under budget or at budget."
That includes paving a slew of town roads under this year's $1 million road stabilization plan, and other separate projects, like a $55,000 upgrade to culverts on Therese, Helen and Catherine roads that was approved at deliberative session last spring.
"We're doing it all in-house; we don't have any consultants," Russell said. "We're trying to get it all done and get the costs down."
The culvert project will replace three undersized, old and dilapidated culverts that were causing flooding issues, Russell said.
"A couple of times over the past several years, they've had flooding," Russell said of homes in the area.
He said the work would take about a week and a half, with plenty of big equipment on small streets.
"A couple of times, the water's overtopped the road," Russell said. "It's going to definitely help the people out."
The road stabilization program has given DPW crews plenty of work, Russell said.
"This year, it's over $900,000," he said. "It's twice as much work as we had last year."
Crews have been milling and paving streets all summer, and have about three roads left to finish. If the town's proposed 10-year road plan were approved, Russell said the DPW crews would have even busier summers ahead.
"Ten years down the road, it's going to look fantastic," he said.
"The road program is going to address most of the roads that are in bad shape now. And in 10 years, we'll take another look."
Russell's budget for the roads was reduced by the cost of replacing a failed culvert on Hooker Farm Road and repairing a dangerous bridge on Bluff Street Extension.
But the cost of some projects has come in lower than expected, and the selectmen appropriated $175,000 from the roadway capital reserve fund for some extra work to pave Route 28 from the post office to the cemetery, Russell said.
"The way that it was set up didn't leave me any money for contingencies," Russell said.
He said some items crews need have variable costs that can go up or down, but so far, they've stayed just a bit under budget.
"A little bit, not much," he said. "But we're not done."
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