By early fall, the city will have a much smoother Arterial.

Work on the Arterial resurfacing project, being done through the state Department of Transportation, began this month but motorists have begun to feel the effects of the project this week, as lane closures have slowed traffic eastbound through the city.

Jim Harmon, the engineer in charge of the project, said workers will be milling out three inches of asphalt to eliminate potholes and remove bad asphalt. They will then lower any manholes, re-pave and re-stripe the road to complete the project.

The construction will extend from Route 326, just west of Auburn, to Seymour Street. Harmon said there will be a lane closed in at least one direction throughout the project. While there may also be some lane closures along side streets, Harmon said all side streets will remain open throughout the project.

Actual work on the state highway, which is being done by Barrett Paving Material Inc., will be completed either by the last week of September or the first week of October, he said.

Harmon said work along the entire stretch will be done in sections.

"There were quite a few potholes," he said. "It will ride a lot smoother when we're done."

Bruce Ross, Auburn's assistant civil engineer, said the city had planned to spend $40,000 to repair parts of the Arterial last year but held off after hearing a few months ago that the state was considering the project. In June, the state went out to bid on the project.

"We decided it would be better to wait, rather than spend the $40,000," Ross said. "We were hoping it wouldn't go another summer."

Ross said with Bass Pro Shops arrival, there was even more of an incentive to have a repaired road.

The $40,000 was used to repair streets that had been on the waiting list for the 2004 road program, including Locust Street, Ross said. The city, Ross said, would only have been able to patch the worst parts of the Arterial, rather than doing the entire reconstruction project the state is undertaking now.

"The state kicked it up to high priority," Ross said. "They got a lot of complaints last year."

Staff writer Anne Gleason can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or anne.gleason@lee.net