LEBANON — A paving project on Miracle Mile will have to be restarted after a contractor applied the wrong asphalt on the roadway.

City officials called for using “virgin asphalt” to pave the roughly 1¼-mile stretch of Route 4.

“The products applied had a percentage of recycled asphalt pavement in it which we specifically did not allow because we wanted the best quality we can get from the pavement,” Lebanon city engineer Rodrick Finley said in a phone interview. “It seemed to be an oversight. Somehow there was a mishap and the wrong product got manufactured.”

The mistake was discovered after paving started overnight from July 9 to the 10th.

A message left for the project’s primary contractor, United Construction Corporation in Newport, was not returned by deadline.

“They worked one night and it was discovered,” Finley said.

The snafu will not cost the city more money — as the contractor will cover the cost — and the project is still on track to be completed before the expected end date of Sept. 13. 

Originally, the work was going be completed by mid-July, two months ahead of schedule, Finley said.

“I would hope we would get it wrapped up by the middle of August, but that’s tentative,” he added.

“Everything that’s paved right now is going to be milled out and has to be repaved,” Finley said.

The first part of the remedy involves removing the unwanted asphalt.

Finley said he requested “virgin asphalt” because 14,000 cars per day travel Miracle Mile.

“It’s just a better product,” he added. “It’s going to be beautiful when we’re done.”

 All of the paving is scheduled to take place at night fr om 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. The new dates for the three nights of paving are still to be determined.

“We’re going to get on it again as soon as we can,” Finley said.

The $4.3 million Miracle Mile project is being entirely funded by the city and its taxpayers. The first part took place last summer and involved digging trenches to replace a water main. This summer, plans called for paving the stretch that was dug up last summer.

The islands in the middle of the Miracle Mile were made of concrete, dyed brick red and pressed with a brick pattern, and the crosswalks were redone. The sidewalk from Price Chopper to the Poverty Lane intersection was also extended.

(While Route 4 is a state highway, it is part of Lebanon’s urban compact district, which refers to when a municipality takes up maintenance for a portion of a state-owned road.)

It has been a long year for businesses along the Miracle Mile as they and their customers have had to contend with delays due to construction.

“Wonderful,” Entertainment Cinemas General Manager Michael Eastman replied when informed about the paving mistake, in a tone that clearly indicated it wasn’t. “The water thing was rough.”

Difficulties have continued this summer as the work has continued. While business hasn’t slowed, it has created challenges for customers.

“People get caught up in the traffic and they aren’t able to make their movies in time,” Eastman said in an interview at the movie theater. Sometimes staff arrive late after encountering lane closures. “It doesn’t hurt us at night. It’s when it’s during the day when it hurts people getting in and out of here.”

Across the road at Listen’s Lebanon Thrift Store, store manager Irene Marois said sales have not been reduced due to the construction.

“It hasn’t really affected the business and what we do here for the community,” Marois said in an interview at the thrift store.

Earlier this year, one of the store’s entrances was blocked for a short period, which initially confused customers. And staff have heard customers comment on the road being bumpy.

“I was told it was going to be way worse, but it’s not,” Marois said. “We’ll get through it. We’re all together in this.”

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.

CLARIFICATION: The new islands on Miracle Mile in Lebanon are made of concrete, dyed brick red and pressed with a brick pattern. A previous version of this story included an incomplete description of the materials used in the islands.