RUMFORD – The boards of selectmen from Rumford and Mexico sat down Tuesday night to try to hash out differences on a proposed truck route bypass that may make roads safer, but severely hurt Mexico businesses.

It was a rare meeting of the two towns that often are at odds over numerous issues, a fact that Mexico resident Clayton Weeks noted.

“I’m glad to see the towns sitting down together. I don’t want to see Mexico turn into Waldo Street,” he said.

That is a major worry of Mexico officials and downtown Mexico merchants if a bypass of a section of Route 2 is designated.

At issue is a request by Rumford officials to have the Maine Department of Transportation post a truck route bypass sign at the Veterans Bridge in Mexico and at the Morse Bridge in Rumford that would bypass a section of Route 2 that includes Mexico’s densest business district. Rumford officials have said the narrow streets in their town pose a safety hazard for children and other people when large tractor-trailer trucks travel along them. Such roads are part of Route 2.

Mexico Town Manager Joseph Derouche called the two towns together, along with representatives from the MDOT, the Route 2 Corridor Committee and the Regional Transportation Advisory Committee to try to work out some sort of compromise.

After two hours of discussion, both sides agreed that the two towns have several dangerous curves and intersections and that they both want to look into a variety of possible solutions.

Derouche said a meeting of the Route 2 Corridor Committee will be called to prioritize possible projects along Route 2 that would include possible reconfigurations of intersections and narrow roads in the Rumford/Mexico area. Regional Transportation Advisory Committee Chairman Mike Broderick said the matter would be brought up at that committee’s next meeting scheduled Oct. 28 in Bangor. Some believe an alternative type of sign, rather than truck route bypass, that designates weight rather than trucks would be less likely to prompt passenger vehicles and campers to follow trucks.

The Route 2 Corridor Committee has been particularly concerned with Route 2 from New Sharon to Gilead. Some believe it may become a future East-West highway.

Rumford Selectman Jolene Lovejoy said the matter will be brought up at a selectmen’s meeting for further discussion. She first brought the matter up a couple of years ago. Rumford requested the designated bypass from the MDOT, but was turned down because both towns did not agree to it.

Meanwhile, MDOT Division 7 engineer, Norm Haggan, said he and traffic engineer Brian Keezer, who also attended Tuesday’s meeting, will wait until they hear from the two towns before doing anything.

“Maybe they can work together,” said Haggan.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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