CAPE ELIZABETH — Shore Road Pathway construction is nearing completion, with most sections paved and guardrails installed.
The completed pathway will stretch 2.2 miles along Shore Road, from Fort Williams Park south to the intersection with Ocean House Road (Route 77).
“Everything is going fine, we’re pretty much on schedule,” Public Works Director Robert Malley said. “A lot of people are using it right now and it’s nice to see that. It’s already starting to gain some popularity.”
Although the pathway is now about 70 percent complete, he said, a few projects remain.
The last major milestone will be installation of a bridge and construction of retaining walls at the Pond Cove crossing, Malley said.
The bridge is pre-fabricated and should be installed in early September. The retaining walls will be put in where the topography drops off, which will be time consuming, but should be done in time for the early October completion date, Malley said.
In addition to those items, the pathway also displaces several mailboxes, and portions of the irrigation system along the path will also have to be adjusted.
Malley said he has been working with the U.S. Postal Service to move the mailboxes, with most of them already relocated.
The main issue is access to the mailboxes and the town’s ability to clear snow in the winter, Malley said.
The Town Council approved the 5-foot-wide asphalt-paved pathway in 2010, after a long debate about the project.
The pathway was proposed to address safety concerns along Shore Road, where running and biking space was previously slim, creating dangerous situations between cars and pedestrians traveling on the road.
The majority of the more-than-$800,000 pathway cost was paid for through a Maine Department of Transportation grant of $729,000. The remainder was raised privately by the town.
Construction has progressed steadily since beginning in mid-June, but was halted in August for three days for the 15th annual TD Beach to Beacon 10K race.
The town plans to have a dedication of the pathway in early October.
L.P. Murray & Sons of Cape Elizabeth is the contractor for the project.
Will Graff can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 123 or wgraff@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @W_C_Graff.
Sidebar Elements
The Shore Road Pathway in Cape Elizabeth is about 70 percent finished. Remaining construction includes installing a bridge and retaining walls.
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