04/06/09

Route 77 pavement project slated to begin May 11

Beginning May 11, 2009, weather permitting, the town is scheduled to begin a pavement rehabilitation project on Route 77, between the intersection at the east end of Fowler Road south to Wentworth Road.

The work should take four to five days to complete, said Public Works Director Robert Malley. "During the project, motorists should expect slight delays as the work is being performed," he said.

He suggested motorists use Old Ocean House Road as an alternate route once construction is underway.

The town will be removing a layer of pavement along the stretch of Route 77 commonly called "The Strip," Malley said. "The process is called 'milling' and involves removing approximately 1.5 inches of asphalt and then replacing it with a new layer of the same thickness," he said.

The benefits of milling are primarily in maintaining the existing elevations, so that the guardrails and shoulders do not have to be adjusted after the new layer of asphalt is applied, Malley said.

The town has contracted with Dayton Sand & Gravel, Inc. to coordinate the work.