FARMINGTON — Town officials will meet Tuesday with an environmental consultant, representatives from the Maine Emergency Management Agency and the Maine National Guard to discuss alternatives for the Whittier Road.

The meeting is at 11 a.m. Sept. 11 at the Farmington Municipal Building conference room, Town Manager Richard Davis said. 

Environmental consultant Rick Jones, Franklin County Emergency Management Director Tim Hardy, and the representatives from MEMA and the Maine Army National Guard are expected to attend.

Some of the discussion will center on what the Guard may be able to do for the town should the construction of a bypass be necessary, Davis said.

Selectmen have previously discussed the possibility of building a new section of road from Route 156, also known as the Lucy Knowles Road, to connect to a point on Whittier Road above the area of riverbank erosion that threatens the road.

Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011 damaged the riverbank and spring rains this year eroded the banking to just 36 feet from the road. The road is monitored with closure expected when it nears 20 feet.

The town did not receive Federal Emergency Management Agency approval to complete the stabilization work this year. The work needed to be done during the low water window of July 15 to Sept. 30.

FEMA did request a biological assessment of the river as part of the review for funding. That is estimated to take six to 12 weeks.

Officials expect the road will collapse and be closed before the stabilization work can be done next spring.

Selectmen posted that section of road, limiting heavy trucks while keeping it open to buses and delivery trucks. RSU 9 decided to plan ahead and reroute buses from the start of school instead of waiting for the anticipated road closure.

As a majority of selectmen are expected to attend Tuesday, the meeting is open to the public but Davis does not expect any decisions to be made.

The meeting will be summarized at the regular selectmen’s meeting Tuesday evening, and any formal action would take place then, he said in an e-mailed meeting notice.

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