It’s almost summer and there are a number of road projects on tap for South Berwick over the next months. South Berwick Town Manager John Schempf and Public Works Director Terry Oliver updated the236diner.com on what projects to expect. The following are road projects that are scheduled for this construction season:
2010 Maine Dept. of Transportation Projects (State Roads)
Great Works River Bridge on Route 236 south of town: Scheduled for completion by the end of June.
Maintenance Paving:
Route 101
Route 103
Route 91
Route 236 (North of town from the railroad tracks to the area of Berwick Iron & Metal Recycling)
Reconstruction and Paving:
Route 4 (West of town from around Outlook Golf Club to North Berwick – work has already begun)
2010 Town of South Berwick Projects (Town Roads)
Resurfacing:
Vine Street
Willow Drive
Harvey Road
Reconstruction and Resurfacing:
Witchtrot Road
Emery’s Bridge Road (portion from Witchtrot Road to near old Emery’s Bridge.)
Belle Marsh Road
Two warrant articles (Articles 8 & 14) approved at the June 1 Town Meeting appropriated $600,000 in total for capital improvements for roads that are reflected in the list above. Of the $600,000, $400,000 will come from the $960,000 capital improvement bond, $125,600 from an Undesignated Fund Transfer, and $74,400 from DOT Highway Block Grant.
When asked about the poor condition of some of the roads in South Berwick, Mr. Oliver indicated that in the last few years the appropriation for road work at $200,000 has not been enough to keep the 70+ miles of South Berwick roads in good condition, rather it has only allowed patching the worst spots. The Town used to appropriate approximately $400,000 for roads, but in the last few years has only appropriated $200,000. Since the price of hot mix has increased dramatically it means that the Public Works Department has only been able to do about a third of what they used to do.
Ideally, says Mr. Oliver, South Berwick roads would be maintained on a 20 year cycle that would allow all roads to be reclaimed and paved during that period. He estimates a 20 year cycle would require approximately $650,000 per year. However, with the appropriation at $200,000 for the last few years, South Berwick’s roads are on what is closer to a 60 year cycle for reclamation and repair, which means South Berwick drivers will continue to see bumpy roads ahead. The bond for road work that was passed at the June 1 Town Meeting will allow the Public Works Department to catch up on some road projects that have been on hold.
A project that will happen in 2011 is the replacement of Great Hill Road Bridge. It is likely that bids will be advertised in the spring and construction will take place next summer during low water. MDOT is holding a public meeting in South Berwick at 6:00 pm on June 9, 2010 to discuss the future replacement of the Great Hill Bridge.
Vine Street Bridge
When asked about the future of the Vine Street Bridge, Mr. Oliver is not optimistic. The current bridge will have to be removed since the structure has deteriorated. Given the number of deteriorating bridges the State has to deal with, one of which is Memorial Bridge in Kittery, it seems unlikely that the Vine Street Bridge will ever be replaced. Mr. Oliver estimates that a new bridge would probably cost about $6,000,000. There are no plans for a pedestrian bridge either.
