Start with the long-awaited verdict in a battle between fired police chief Joseph Solomon and Methuen and end with what's shaping up to be a heated mayoral race in Lawrence — add in a long list of construction projects in between — and there's no doubt the Merrimack Valley will be busy in 2009.

Each of our cities and towns will also be charged with working through what are expected to be drastic cuts to state aid. This is sure to make for some hostile budget planning sessions, as departments make their cases to keep their own budgets in tact and stave off large-scale layoffs.

Here's a look at what's shaping up in our cities and towns as we ring in the new year:

Lawrence

Repair work on the Central Bridge will continue this year. Meanwhile, come spring, work is expected to start on the Falls Bridge, which connects north and south Broadway (Route 28). City leaders learned in late 2008 that funds from the state's $3 billion accelerated bridge repair program will be used to upgrade the Falls Bridge.

At Mill and Methuen streets, construction crews are going gangbusters on a new federal Citizenship and Immigration Services building. The 32,000-square-foot, $15 million building is expected to open in March, creating dozens of new jobs and attracting hundreds of visitors to the city daily. The new construction will replace the crumbling former Lincoln Foods Plant.

The race for city mayor will really speed up. Mayor Michael Sullivan finishes up his second term as city leader and cannot run again due to term limits. Those officially interested in the seat so far include: City Council President Patrick Blanchette, State Rep. William Lantigua and former city councilors Marcos Devers, Israel Reyes and Julia Silverio. Candidates can't pull official paperwork until May. And voters will elect the next mayor in November 2009.

A production crew is expected to visit Lawrence to tape a segment for the "The Economic Report," a national television show that highlights business trends and more. The city was selected for a show on hidden gems in economic development in the 21st Century.

Methuen

The state Civil Service Commission will likely rule on whether fired Methuen police Chief Joseph Solomon should have his job back in the early part of this year. Whoever loses the case — the city of Methuen or Solomon — can appeal the commission's ruling in court. Solomon was fired last May after a report alleged he verbally abused officers and allowed federal grant money to be misspent.

As of now, it looks like Mayor William Manzi could have a free ride come November. The second-term mayor said he hasn't heard of anybody gearing up to challenge him in a 2009 election. "I think we need to get ready to run a campaign, no matter what," he said.

Another story to look out for will be the plans for a massive renovation and addition to Methuen High School. Officials probably won't break ground until 2010, but they will be working on the design phase this year. Designs alone could cost up to $2 million, and the total project could run a tab of up to $90 million. The state plans to reimburse the city for more than 60 percent of the project.

North Andover

If all goes as planned, the North Andover school district should soon have a new superintendent ready to start the 2009-2010 school year — the first permanent school chief in almost three years. The School Committee is presently in contract negotiations with Nashua, N.H., Superintendent Christopher Hottel for the $160,000 to $180,000 per year position. Interim Superintendent Dr. James Marini, who helped turn the district around, will say his good-byes in June.

The School Committee will take a serious look at redistricting early this year and is expected to present a series of proposals to parents in late January. The change would affect students in the town's five elementary schools, some of whom will be shuffled to new schools come September.

The town will open a new modular preschool next to the Atkinson School this fall. The 10-room, $4 million preschool will relieve overcrowding at the elementary schools, which are so tight on space that libraries, computer rooms and art rooms are all being used as classrooms.

It will be interesting to watch what direction Osgood Landing goes in this year after Avalon Properties, the developer that had planned on putting up 530 rental apartments on 32 acres of vacant land in the northern corner of the 167-acre property, said last month that it has pulled out of the deal. Osgood Landing is the site of the former Lucent plant on Route 125 near the Haverhill line.

Andover

The redesign of Route 28/Main Street should be over by the summer, bringing relief to commuters and downtown businesses hit hard after months of construction and detours. The $4.5 million project, which began in April, entered the winter nearly three-quarters complete. Work is scheduled to begin again in March. The project is expected to improve traffic flow and pedestrian and handicap access. The town has paid more than $550,000 for street lamps, benches and crosswalks.

Progress will be made toward replacing Bancroft Elementary School, as the town continues its work with the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the state agency charged with allocating money for school construction projects. Town Meeting allocated $300,000 in 2007 to study structural deficiencies at the Bancroft Road school, which abuts wetlands and a reservoir. The town and state could ultimately decide this year to tear down Bancroft and build a new structure on the same site, or relocate the school.

Officials are expected to determine the design of a new Interstate 93 interchange in Lowell Junction this summer, a decision that will have a major impact on traffic patterns and development opportunities in Andover, Wilmington and Tewksbury. Three interchange designs are still under consideration: a loop, a trumpet and a diamond. The new highway exit, between Dascomb Road and Route 125, could spur the development of up to 2.8 million-square feet in the three towns, including up to 750,000-square feet of mixed-used development in Andover. Though the construction of the interchange is still four or more years away, the state has designated the project as a priority development site, one of 40 in Massachusetts.

Northern Essex Community College

Northern Essex Community College leaders say they expects fees for students to rise this year since the college has been told it must cut 9 percent of its budget in 2009 — a loss of $3 million.

College President David Hartleb said the school dealt with a loss of $1.2 million in its $34 million budget in 2008 by cutting part-time positions and making relatively small changes. But the larger budget cut in 2009 will translate to a loss of full-time staff members and a jump in student fees, he said. The changes come as the number of high school graduates opting for community college increases, as does the number of people looking to retrain themselves for career changes.

Staff reporters Jill Harmacinski, J.J. Huggins and Brian Messenger contributed to this report.