Federal stimulus project to begin

SALISBURY — Motorists coming into Salisbury are now greeted by a whacking big sign announcing a federal stimulus project.

The project is: new curbs for Main Street. Lakeville sidewalks were replaced in 2004 but the curbing in the village of Salisbury was dropped for lack of funds that year.

The five villages in Salisbury are Salisbury, Lakeville, Taconic, Lime Rock and Amesville.

The 2004 sidewalk project was funded by a state grant. The current plan’s funds — about $335,000 — come from the federal stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,  passed by Congress in February 2009.

The Northwestern Connecticut Council of Governments (an organization of first selectmen from nine area towns) was allotted $1.1 million for “shovel-ready� projects, First Selectman Curtis Rand reported last October.

“That means projects with state right-of-ways established and plans ready to go,� he said at the time.

The new plan includes new sidewalks along the state Department of Transportation’s right-of-way, from Town Hall to a point just beyond the Ragamont building; new granite curbing along each side of Main Street; and elimination of the bituminous sidewalks directly adjacent to the curbing, which will be replaced by grass. Salisbury’s Main Street is technically a state highway.

Salisbury’s original per capita share of the $1.1 million was $244,000. But after the towns of Sharon and Washington dropped out, Salisbury’s share increased to about  $396,000.

Rand said in October that the town can figure on spending about $363,000 in federal funds for the curbing. (He added that the state Department of Transportation will use about $30,000 for administrative purposes.)

The town was able to proceed in a timely manner because the preliminary plan was taken directly from the 2004 project.

At the regular monthly selectmen’s meeting Aug. 2, Rand said the work schedule is Monday through Thursday so as not to disrupt weekend activities during the height of the summer.

Asked if the project will be complete before the annual Fall Festival in October, Rand said, “We hope so.�