Construction on a $3.5 million project to improve a section of Route 35 in Standish is expected to begin next summer.

Details of that project, as well as information on plans to construct a roundabout on Route 25, were reviewed Tuesday at a meeting of the Standish Town Council.

At the public hearing led by the Maine Department of Transportation, state officials explained plans to widen, flatten and in some places realign a particularly bad section of Route 35. The 20-minute overview of the project was followed by roughly 40 minutes of public comment.

In a council workshop following the meeting, Public Works Director Roger Mosley presented the council with a look at the state’s plans for the roundabout.

The first project covers roughly a mile-long stretch of Route 35 starting at the intersection with Route 237 and extending southwest toward Route 114.

Route 35 is a well-traveled road that connects Route 302 in North Windham with routes 114 and 25 in Standish, and follows a portion of Sebago Lake.

According to Town Manager Gordy Billington, the town has identified Route 35 as a top priority for the Department of Transportation for several years. The road is considered dangerous by town officials due to its hilly course and lack of shoulders.

The plans include widening the road from its current width of roughly 24 feet to 34 feet. That will allow for the creation of shoulders, as well as breakdown and bicycle lanes, according Randy Illian, project designer and construction resident for the department.

Several hills in the road will be flattened slightly, he said. Hills can obstruct views of oncoming traffic and lead to accidents.

At the request of the Portland Water District, the road will be set farther away from Sebago Lake when it is widened, Illian said. The project will also incorporate ditches and drainage to help direct the flow of stormwater away from the lake and improve its water quality.

Roughly 1,000 feet of Route 237, which curves noticeably right before it intersects with Route 35, will also be adjusted as part of the project. The curve will be lengthened slightly, according to Rob Betz, a senior project manager with the state.

Several residents at the meeting requested that the department look into constructing a left-hand turn lane from Route 35 onto Route 237.

Councilor John Sargent said cars trying to turn left onto Route 237 can halt traffic, and the installation of a left-turn lane may help keep cars moving.

Isabelle Higgins and others expressed interest in maintaining a scenic vista along Route 35, which, she said, is “a big draw of taking that road (and) should be preserved whatever else happens.”

Chadbourne Landing, a widened dirt area off Route 35, functions as an unofficial scenic vista for residents and tourists, offering a view of Sebago Lake with the White Mountains in New Hampshire in the background. In 2012, when the council considered the scope of the project, the preservation or enhancement of the vista turnout was a priority, Billington said.

A new paved scenic turnout with a few parking spots could be located on the far side of the lake, and slightly elevated to allow for views over the traffic, he said.

The cost of a scenic turnout would be shared between the town and the state, although the split is to be decided. The cost would have to be approved by voters, Billington said.

In a council workshop following the department’s presentation, Public Works Director Roger Mosley updated the board on the Department of Transportation’s public hearing Sept. 15 regarding the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Route 25 and Manchester Road/Saco Road.

The intersection is considered a high-crash location by the state and was the site of a fatal car accident in August.

Mosley said roundabouts are generally safer than four-way stops. When accidents do happen on a roundabout, he said, they tend to be less serious in cost and injuries than at traditional intersections.

Two hurdles still to cross in implementing the plan is discussing potential right-of-way issues with abutters of the property and figuring out drainage for the site, Mosley said.

The design of the roundabout is still in planning phase, Mosley said. The project could start construction in the summer of 2018.

Term-limits question returns to ballot

Standish residents will vote whether to abolish term limits at the Nov. 8 election.

On Sept. 13, the council voted 6-1 to putting a question regarding the elimination of term limits for municipal offices on the Nov. 8 ballot. The question asks voters if they want to remove stipulations for term limits on members of the Town Council, School Board and Budget Committee from the Town Charter.

Term limits were approved by voters in November 2014 following a citizen’s petition, and prevent members of the three municipal boards from serving more than two consecutive three-year terms, or four consecutive years. Officers who are termed-out are allowed to run for re-election after three years.

Standish Public Works Director Roger Mosley, left, explains plans by the Maine Department of Transportation for a rotary on Route 25 to councilors Isabelle Higgins, center, and John Sargent.