Board to focus on truck-route possibility
By Eileen M. Adams
Staff Writer

RUMFORD – Selectmen are encouraging a large turnout of residents for their meeting Thursday night to comment on the possibility of designating a truck route around the downtown area.

The regular twice-monthly meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the conference room of the Municipal Building.

Town Manager Robert Welch said representatives from the Maine Department of Transportation will be at the meeting to hear comments and discuss a possible truck bypass around portions of Franklin Street, Rumford Avenue, Hancock Street, Lincoln Avenue and the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Hancock Street, which are all parts of Route 2.

The proposed bypass would divert traffic off Route 2 at the Mexico end of the Veterans’ Bridge onto Route 108.

Mexico selectmen last year voted against the proposed bypass, citing concerns that an alternative route would not only divert large trucks, but also other vehicles. They said such a bypass would hurt downtown traffic.

Welch said the bypass would improve safety, particularly in areas where trucks travel along narrow, residential streets in the town of Rumford.

Rumford selectmen supported the designation of a bypass route last year for safety reasons; however the MDOT has not taken any action, said Welch.

“Perhaps the MDOT will see there are more concerns than from the selectmen,” Welch said of the move to invite residents who live on some of the streets that would be affected by a bypass.

The board will also meet with Mexico Police Chief Jim Theriault to discuss why the Rumford Police Department lockup can no longer be used by the Mexico Police Department to process prisoners.

Welch said the Mexico department’s use of the temporary incarceration facility by those they arrested was stopped when Mexico began using dispatching services from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department a few months ago. He said prior to that time, Mexico had paid Rumford for dispatching services. That fee also included use of the lockup.

In other matters, the board plans to hear an update on the status of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection approval of a new business/industrial park; appoint several people to municipal boards and committees, and reappoint lawyer for the town Jennifer Kreckel; and act on several liquor, amusement, hawkers and peddlers, and innholders and victualers licenses.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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