Multiple projects in Orono will begin in 2026, including public safety upgrades downtown.
Along with the upgrades, work for the library’s expansion will go out to bid, construction on the new police station will begin and a sewer infrastructure upgrade may start construction, Orono Town Manager Clint Deschene said.
Orono residents may not see much construction in town, but several large projects are moving forward in either engineering or construction phases. Many of these projects have been in the works for multiple years.
Plans to improve Route 2 have been proposed multiple times in the last decade, with one of the most recent plans being presented in 2024. Part of that plan was built around $30 million in federal funding that required a 10% local match.
Those federal funds are now unavailable, forcing Orono to either wait for them to become available again or find another way to fund the project.
Just because the whole corridor isn’t getting upgraded at once doesn’t mean the route won’t see improvements in the future, Deschene said.
“I think the hiccup is that the funding that we hoped was going to be there isn’t currently available and will not allow it to happen as one large project. That doesn’t mean it won’t come back, or different versions won’t come back,” he said.
The project will now only improve a stretch of Route 2, from the Stillwater Silk Bridge to Goodridge Drive.
Upgrades to the bridge itself or the sidewalks on it will not be done during this project, Deschene said.
Other projects are moving forward as planned in 2026, Deschene said. It’s uncertain if some of the projects will get to the construction stage next year due to how long designs will take and a lack of contractors, Deschene said.
“Contractors are busy. There’s a lot of work and sometimes it’s tough fitting it into schedules. We’ve got to be flexible on timing,” Deschene said.
The $6 million sewer project is one such project that may not start construction because of contractors’ availability, Deschene said.
The library expansion has been in planning since 2023 and would enlarge the library from 6,500 square feet to more than 13,000 square feet.
Officials are working toward the expansion going out to bid in the summer, Deschene said.
Work to renovate the fire department and relocate the police department began last summer, when town officials bought the former bank at 56 Main St. The building requires $3 million in repairs and renovations before the Orono Police Department can move in.
Engineering for the building will be completed in January or February, Deschene said, and the budget for the project will be finalized by the end of June. Construction on the building could start as soon as the fall, Deschene said.
More information on the projects will be shared with the Town Council and residents at Council meetings while engineering is being done this year, Deschene said, but possible end dates may change.