Closures around the Smith Neck and Gulf Road intersection will open by the first week of June, and the Padanaram Causeway construction is on track.

That's the update Department of Public Works Director David Hickox gave to the Select Board on February 27. Hickox said he is pushing the state Department of Transportation — in charge of the $8.2 million rehabilitation project — to open the Smith Neck-Gulf intersection before Memorial Day weekend.

Hickox reported that MassDOT still projects construction completion for June 2018, despite having a mild winter.

"They've lost three days all winter and were able to work around environmental restrictions," said Hickox, referring to measures taken to avoid affecting spawning cod.

Hickox said that although construction crews have made enormous progress since last summer when the causeway was first closed, it is hard to predict both how the weather forecast next winter could affect the project and potential delays.

The construction faced an unexpected delay in November when project leaders determined that there was no footing to stabilize the stone wall replacement, so both had to be rebuilt.