High Hopes for High Street?

Cassie Libby
Contributing Writer

Students who are familiar with the UMF campus might have noticed upon returning this fall that High Street looks a little different. The most noticeable change is that the trees outside of Mallet and Purington Hall have been removed. UMF Facilities and the Town of Farmington are hoping that these upcoming changes to High Street will promote safety and prove to be convenient for the UMF community.

After the completion of phase one in 2021, the second phase of the project will begin next week. Phase one was the road based piece of the project, when they tore up High Street and made it wider. According to the director of UMF Facilities, Keenan Farwell, phase two is going to involve replacing the sidewalks, adding raised crosswalks and adding new lights and street lamps throughout the area. Town of Farmington Public Works Director Philip Hutchins added that the plan will consist of updating two raised crosswalks with crosswalk lights, over 30 street lamps, six foot-wide granite-curbed sidewalks, and more spaces for parking along the road. Hutchins mentioned that cars tend to exceed speed limits on High Street, so the raised crosswalks will hopefully help maintain that problem.

Hutchins says that the project as a whole should take about two months, a month for the excavation portion, and a month to repave. He said that 50% of the project is being financed by the State of Maine through a project called Maine Partnership Initiative (MPI).

“It made sense to take advantage of the opportunity,” Hutchins said.

Farwell also reassured that CMP is planning on replanting the trees outside of Purington and Mallet once the project is complete.