Ceremony celebrated Meridian Street project

Twenty-five years ago this week, Portland was celebrating the completion of a street project.

The Nov. 23, 1998, edition of The Commercial Review featured coverage of a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of 16 months of construction on Meridian Street.

A crowd of about 300 attended the ceremony for the $8.46 million project. The bulk of the work was paid for via state and federal sources, with the city contributing $951,311.

Don Kissling of Bonar Group, the consulting firm involved in the project, credited Portland Water Department with helping to save about $40,000 on the project.

“They were able to shut off the water where we would have normally had to do live water taps costing $2,000 each,” he said. As a result, the cost of the taps dipped to about $250 apiece.

The project included paving, new storm sewers, modernized traffic signals and new trees, benches, trash cans and lighting. Other work involved utility wiring being moved from overhead to underground as well as brick accents on sidewalks and curb ramps.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured various speakers including advisory committee member Neil Habegger, city council president Bob McCreery and Portland Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Vicki Tague.

“I’ve learned a lot more about water mains, drains, concrete and cement than anyone should have to know in a year,” said Habegger, who was presented with a certificate from Portland Mayor Maxine Lewis for his work on the project.

Lewis thanked all those involved in the project, including local business owners who adjusted when the street was closed.

“We appreciated that fact that everyone has been inconvenienced … Merchants did a good job by planning ahead and advertising the use of back doors,” she said.

The project had been in the planning stages since 1984, when a Portland 2000 committee meeting focused on Meridian Street rehabilitation. Bonar Group was hired in 1993 to complete a beautification study and identify potential funding sources.