The bridge over Edwards Brook. The culverts transporting the brook underneath the bridge will soon be replaced to better handle the water flow and avoid a wash-out. Rory Sweeting / Lakes Region Weekly

Casco recently put out a request for proposals on how to repair a pair of culverts on Edwards Road, with the hope of having the culvert fixed by the end of this September.

Town Manager Tony Ward explained that the main issue was that the two culverts that go beneath Edwards Road and transport water from Edwards Brook cannot handle the water flow. The brook runs underneath Davis Brook Road and then settles in the area between Davis Brook Road and Edwards Road. Ward further explained that the area floods every time that there’s a heavy storm, and the town government is concerned about a wash-out should there be a high level of rainfall.

According to a document from the town, the project will see the existing culverts removed and replaced by a single 12-by-9-by-15-foot concrete box culvert, which has already been purchased by the town. The town will also re-grade embankments and install new walling at each end of the culvert, as well as restore and renovate the road and guardrail surrounding the work site. The total construction period is expected to last around two weeks.

Assisting Casco in their efforts is Gorrill Palmer, who will work with bioengineers to help determine what the size and design for the new culvert will be. In addition, the town received a $200,000 grant from the Maine Department of Transportation’s Municipal Stream Crossing Program and is subject to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers self-verification notification that requires the project to be completed between July 15 and Sept. 30.

Casco recently announced online a call for contractors to submit ideas for how to develop the new culvert. Last week, the town held a mandatory pre-bid meeting with eight companies attending. Ward expected all of these companies to submit bids, at which point the town would review them and bring them before the town Select Board, which would then make a recommendation on which company to award the bid to. The deadline for bids is March 6.

The cost of the project is estimated at $450,000, Ward said. Although he noted that a better estimate will be known when bids are received. Residents will vote on whether or not to approve the remaining funding at Casco’s town meeting in June. If approved, as Ward anticipates, the project will begin on July 1. However, should voters reject funding the project, Ward said that the town will not be able to move forward this year, and the project will be postponed until at least the summer of 2026.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the amount of a grant the town has received from the Maine Department of Transportation’s Municipal Stream Crossing Program.