FARMINGTON — The lower portion of Whittier Road reopened to one-lane traffic Tuesday morning.

Last week, the decision was made to keep the road closed until stabilization work could be done, Town Manager Richard Davis told Selectmen.

The road was recently closed when Superstorm Sandy caused the river level to rise. The road is safe for now, although erosion along the Sandy River bank has increasingly moved nearer to a portion of Whittier Road.

With potential ice and spring high waters, public safety seemed to warrant keeping the road closed, he said.

The town wanted to avoid opening and closing the road while waiting on a Federal Emergency Management Agency application to fund stabilization work that can only be done during the low water period between June and September.

The decision was reversed this week.

“We were asked to because it seemed to be really too much of an inconvenience,” Castonguay said. “With the ground freezing and the river water level down, we feel it’s quite safe. It’s open for the time being. It’s being monitored, and if the public is at risk, we’ll close it again.”

Large cement barriers block one lane around the eroding riverbank, while sensored timed traffic lights allow travel across the opposite lane.

That portion of road is still under a weight limit of 23,000 pounds.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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