Many commuters found their drive to work more

difficult than

usual Thursday.
By Donna M. Perry
Staff Writer

Farmington firefighters kept watch on the rising waters Thursday as most Franklin County towns faced some form of flooding.

It was a slow morning commute as traffic was detoured up Route 2 and 27 from Center Bridge and up South Street from Main Street near the University of Maine at Farmington.

The university’s athletic field and a former parking lot at Prescott Field looked like a lake and even had some rapids at the edge of varsity soccer field.

SAD 9’s Weld Elementary School was closed because of flooded roads, Superintendent Michael Cormier said. SAD 9 was also unable to get buses into Temple because the Intervale Road was barricaded due to flooded roads, he said.

The Carrabassett River rose over its banks in some spots in Kingfield, Carrabassett Valley and New Vineyard, said Olive Toothaker, county assistant Emergency Management Agency director.

Rangeley had some flooding also, she said.

Wilton Town Manager Peter Nielsen said there were a couple of spots where water crossed the road, including Pond Road and Lake Street, but didn’t cause any damage.

The ice jam under Center Bridge in Farmington broke free with chunks of ice flowing downstream to start a new jam in New Sharon. Another jam was reported to be forming near the Fairbanks Bridge in Farmington.

But by 3 p.m., water bodies had started to recede and some streets were being reopened at 3:30 p.m. while others remained closed.

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