Now that many of our summer friends are closing their cottages, packing the car and heading for home, the Boothbay roundabout construction project is about to resume.

Yes, as the tourist traffic thins, the half-finished road project on Route 27, a project put on hold to expedite the summer traffic, is gearing up once again. Completion is scheduled for the spring. 

Adam Tenan and his Sargent construction workers have gassed up their big rigs and are ready to start grading and paving.

Meanwhile Dan Bryer, the town manager, and his construction inspector, Mike Kane, are keeping a close eye. With a bit of luck, and the cooperation of Mother Nature, they hope to lay down asphalt until mid-November.

Bryer says he is still fielding calls from residents who were opposed to the project in the first place, and have not changed their minds as it progresses. But, the residents who voted “yes,” have been silent, for the most part.

“I have not heard from the folks who were in favor of it, at least for a while,” he said. For the record, at last November’s election, voters approved the roundabout project 1114 to 966.

Some of the landscaping for the little convenience store is in progress, and electrical utility contractors have installed utility poles — 18 of them, some as tall as 45 feet. Four were set in holes drilled in granite ledge. Next comes the wiring.

This week, Sargent’s workers plan to grade and gravel Corey Lane and the town office parking lot. They will begin to install the bases for 56 decorative street lights that will match those already in place at the convenience store.

Next week, plans call for them to begin paving  the town office and Corey Lane, so don’t be surprised if there are some delays.

The week of Sept. 10, they will begin removal of the pavement on Route 27 as part of a renewal process that will see this major road regraded and repaved. So far, the project is on schedule and on budget.

“There have been a few minor changes, but I don’t think we are even one percent over budget,” said Kane. The whole project is budgeted at $3.5 million with the town taxpayers kicking in $1.5 million. The Maine DOT and Paul Coulombe, the owner of the country club, are splitting the rest. Sorry, school kids, while the paving is in progress, the big yellow buses are expected to be on time, as usual. Bryer says buses will be helped through the choke points.

Construction supervisors also carry portable radios to permit them to talk to firefighters and ambulance paramedics. “We will clear the way for them when they need to get through,” said Kane. As for the rest of us, well, we will just have to wait our turn. In any case, the delay will not be anything like it is going through Wiscasset.

Some readers have asked about the large structure built at the back of the Boothbay Common. It is a public restroom and Bryer couldn’t be more pleased.

“We have agreed to lease it for 10 years,” he said. “I am not sure where we will find the money to provide supplies and maintenance services. But we will make do.”

One casualty of the project was a wooden shed located by the old ambulance service garage. It housed the tents and other gear belonging to the Boothbay Civic Association. When the old ambulance headquarters was torn down, It was “relocated” to a corner of the Clifford Park parking lot.

The good news is, in addition to providing a welcome convenience for visitors to events on the Common, the new restroom building has a storage space for the BCA. The town may use some of the storage space too.

“This will make it a lot easier for the BCA volunteers to access their stuff,” Bryer said.

The restroom project is also expected to cut down the foot traffic from event visitors crossing the street to use the public toilets in the town office.

If you want to keep up with the latest construction schedule, it is posted on the Boothbay Town website.  

Plans for the final landscaping are not finalized, but Bryer said there is a preliminary landscape plan, and, he is in talks with the staff of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens to see if they might assist. Bill Cullina, the Gardens president, said they plan to purchase some shade trees, probably sugar and red maples to use along Corey Lane, around the town office and to replace some of the trees that were removed during construction.

“We are happy to help in any way we can,” said Cullina.