MANCHESTER - With Sidewalk Sales fast approaching, the Manchester and the Mountains Regional Chamber of Commerce has been working with the Town and the contractors performing work on the Roundabout Project to help provide conditions for the event to be successful.

W.M. Schultz Construction has changed their work schedule so that construction will occur from Sunday, Aug. 5, through Wednesday, Aug. 8, to ensure that there will not be any traffic disruption on the roads when Sidewalk Sales begin on Aug. 9.

One issue that will present somewhat of a challenge is trying to control the dust that has been created as a result of the Roundabout Project.

"We're hoping and working with the Town of Manchester to do everything we can to make sure that upper Main Street and the area around the roundabout itself is as dust free as possible," said Executive Director of the Manchester and the Mountains Regional Chamber of Commerce Berta Maginniss. "I'm hopeful that the roadway will have some improvement to it. In addition, we're encouraging everyone to participate."

The Chamber and the Town of Manchester will be offering shuttle bus service, which will be in operation from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. through Sunday, Aug. 12, when Sidewalk Sales come to a close. The bus - which will make a circuit every 20 minutes - will stop at Orvis, on the upper end of High Ridge Plaza where the Liz Claiborne building used to be, the Northshire Bookstore, Adams Park, and at Manchester Square.

The

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concept of providing public transportation for such an event is one that Maginniss said she has had in mind for a while.

"Since I've been here [there's been] a couple of times I'd hope[d] we'd provide trolley service," said Maginniss. "So it seemed that in light of all the construction, and the merchants have been really patient, this would be a good thing to provide for this sale."

In addition to Sidewalk Sales - which Maginniss said people look forward to - there are other events happening that weekend that may contribute to the success of Sidewalk Sales. Norman's Attic is being held in Arlington on Saturday, Aug. 11, and the American Museum of Fly Fishing is holding an Angling and Art exhibit from Aug. 9 until Aug. 12 with a free reception on Saturday, Aug. 11.

ROUNDABOUT UPDATE

As for the Roundabout Project itself, when Sidewalk Sales begins on Thursday Aug. 9, Public Information Officer for the Roundabout Project, Tricia Hayes said they are hopeful that they will have gotten the curb in place and patched up some of the new sidewalks. Hayes said it is expected that the curbing work will take them into next week.

Work by three of the four utility companies - CVPS, Comcast and Level 3 - was completed this week. FairPoint Communications is the remaining utility company that still has some work to do.

According to Hayes, FairPoint has to relocate their utility wires from underneath the bridge through a new conduit that has been installed running from the First Baptist Church to The Gap.