TOPSHAM

A new trail in Topsham is another step closer to becoming a reality after selectmen last week awarded the contract for the first leg of the project.

The board voted 3-0 in favor of recommending the Maine Department of Transportation award the bid for the construction of a multi-use trail to Shaw Brothers Construction of Gorham in the amount of $586,073 — the lowest qualified bid of the six the town received and opened on Tuesday. The project will be funded with MDOT and federal highway funds and the town will provide a match.

Selectman David Douglass said the town has set aside $160,000 for its match for the project and their share based on this bid amount is $128,935. He said he’d like a plan for how to use the $30,000 left over and said there are other needs in town that need to be addressed.

Planning Director Rod Melanson noted selectmen should be aware there may be some change orders during the project. Town Manager Rich Roedner added that as private fundraising has taken place for this trail project, the town has put money back into accounts matching funds have been taken from — some of which was left over money from other projects.

There will be a new crosswalk in front of the Topsham public safety building. The 0.64-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail will be entered between the Wright- Pierce building and Gibbs Oil Co. gas station on Main Street and travel into woods behind Wright-Pierce and come out at the Route 196 Coastal Connector, travel along the connector and connect to Community Drive.

There are future phases of the trail that haven’t yet undergone a full engineering design. The next phase would be connecting Village Drive to Topsham Crossing, according to the feasibility study done on the trail project, followed by construction of a bridge over the Route 196 Coastal Connector and then another connection to the Androscoggin River Bicycle and Pedestrian Path via the connector and fairgrounds.

According to Melanson, the next steps will be drafting and signing contracts with the construction company and construction engineers, and starting construction slated to be completed in November.

• THERE WILL BE a new crosswalk in front of the Topsham public safety building. The 0.64- mile bicycle and pedestrian trail will be entered between the Wright-Pierce building and Gibbs Oil Co. gas station on Main Street and travel into woods behind Wright-Pierce and come out at the Coastal Connector.