As part of the City of Auburn’s efforts to provide a streetscape that is safe for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists, they hired Woodard & Curran as a partner on a roadway reconstruction project, which included geotechnical engineering, traffic analysis, civil engineering design, and funding assistance. Woodard & Curran was responsible for every phase of this multi-million dollar project and ensured the project outcomes addressed the City’s concerns about safety and value.
In 2011, South Main Street, in the City of Auburn, ME, had become a problem in a number of ways. With the existing street infrastructure having exceeded its functional life, there was a variety of improvements that needed to be made in order to guarantee the safety of the community that uses the road every day. The improvements addressed poor intersection alignment, deteriorating pavement conditions, and inadequate stormwater drainage. While making these investments, the City chose also to improve the streetscape to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, adding a dedicated shoulder in each direction along with upgrades to the existing sidewalks and esplanades.
COORDINATING VARIOUS MOVING PARTS FOR OPTIMAL OUTCOMES
Our team was involved at every stage of the process, including assisting the City to obtain funding from MaineDOT for the project. With a number of improvements to be made within a tight right-of-way, all efforts had to be coordinated precisely in cooperation with other stakeholders and scheduled to minimize impacts to adjacent properties, utilities, and natural resources.
Of the many facets of this work, a few have had significant benefits for the citizens of Auburn. For instance, five-foot sidewalks were added on both the east and west sides of the street, which provide safe pedestrian routes to two different elementary schools. Four-foot wide shoulders were also added in each direction, increasing the level of safety for bicyclists. The stormwater infrastructure was constructed in similar locations to the existing infrastructure, retaining existing outfalls thereby avoiding additional permitting requirements. The stormwater drainage improvements alone will extend the functional life of the pavement, as well as reduce the potential for flooding in the roadway.
