Lewes' restoration of Madison, Railroad avenues moves ahead

A restoration of Lewes’ Madison and Railroad avenues is back on track. Project construction, planned for more than a decade ago, is moving toward starting Tuesday, Sept. 3, a day after Labor Day.

Only a handful of people attended an April 23 public hearing at City Hall where project details were discussed. At an estimated cost of $935,000, the city would pay about $370,000 for street reconstruction; Lewes Board of Public Works would pay about $560,000 for underground utilities.

Charlie O’Donnell, an engineer with George Miles & Buhr, said the project would replace aging water and sewer lines, and deteriorating curbs and sidewalks. It will also relocate four utility poles that encroach the street.

The project would also upgrade the intersection at Railroad and Monroe avenues, extending recently completed reconstruction of the railroad crossing.

Madison Avenue would continue to have two-way traffic and parking on both sides, and Railroad Avenue would have two-way traffic with parking on one side.

Both streets would have 4-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides, with a grass area on the west side of Railroad Avenue.

Four-inch high curbs would run along both streets, and both would also be accessible to people with disabilities.

Chesapeake Utilities will also take advantage of the reconstruction to install a natural gas main.

O’Donnell said George Miles & Buhr representatives have met with about half of the 23 homeowners who would be affected by the project.

“There’s only going to be minor interruptions to water and sewer service. I just want to make that clear to you,” he said. During construction, the firm would also have personnel on-site to keep homeowners informed if utility service interruptions were expected to be lengthy.

“It will be a construction site, and it won’t be totally comfortable every hour of the day,” O’Donnell said.

He said during construction, street parking would be restored daily and available after 5 p.m.