SKOWHEGAN — The towns of Skowhegan and Winslow will team up again to share the cost of a contract to paint street lines — the white and yellow traffic stripes on roads — for the coming year.

Skowhegan selectmen Tuesday night approved the contract with Lucas Striping and for the town’s share of about $16,000 of the overall painting contract. The board also agreed to partner with the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments to spend $7,000 for road culverts.

The original motion to waive the bid process for street painting included the town of Madison in a collaborative effort with Winslow and Skowhegan.

Skowhegan Road Commissioner Greg Dore said the three towns have gone in together on street striping for about 12 years.

Dore said Winslow Public Works Director Paul Fongemie has coordinated the collaboration over the past few years, and they met again recently to discuss the work.

“At the last breakfast, Paul asked us if we wanted to go in on it again this year, and I said I did,” Dore said.

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He said he assumed that Glen Mantor, Madison’s road commissioner, wanted to participate again, too; but Madison Town Manager Tim Curtis said before the meeting Tuesday that Mantor told him the three towns have worked together on a bid price for street line painting in the past, but Madison is not contracting jointly with the other two towns this year for the work.

“We have some crosswalks and some parking lots that we’re going to paint this year, but nothing in conjunction with the town of Skowhegan,” Curtis said. “The towns are not working together for road painting.”

Fongemie said Tuesday that his town is looking at about 12.4 miles of white lines for the edges of the roads and some lane dividers and about 11.8 miles of double yellow lines, for the center of the roads. The cost for Winslow is roughly $7,500.

In Skowhegan, all of the major town roads, such as Madison Avenue, North Avenue, Water Street and West Front Street are among those to be striped. Others, including Back Road, High Street and Malbons Mill Road, are also on the list of feeder roads to be done.

“We’ll try to get in before Memorial Day,” Dore said. “It’ll take two days. We do it every year.”

Other roads, such as East River Road and Russell Road, where there is less traffic, are done every other year.

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Dore said the town pays to paint 23.5 miles of white lines and 36 miles of double yellow lines.

“It’s been going very well,” Dore said. “The contractor that got the bid four years ago hasn’t changed his price. We’re very happy with it.”

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow


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