NEWRY — Selectmen are pondering a proposal from Main-Land Development Consultants for an estimated $300,000 project to reconstruct 1,200 feet of the Sunday River Road.
Main-Land owner and president Bob Berry and project manager Rick Dunton met with the board last week to discuss options for the stretch of road near the Nordic Knoll subdivision and Letter S swimming hole.
As part of the selectmen’s prioritization of roadwork, Code Enforcement Officer Dave Bonney asked for a proposal on the stretch, which has had drainage problems in recent years.
Berry said the road is in a state of “failure.”
“It’s not just a matter of potholes. The subbase is pretty much gone,” he said. “You have chunks of pavement, most not much bigger than a tea saucer, over some gravel and native material. It’s at the end of its design life. It’s done really well considering how long it’s been there.”
A large culvert crossing the road is also failing, he said.
Town officials said the culvert had been replaced two years ago.
“Water is washing underneath and sinkholes are forming around it,” Berry said.
He said a watershed analysis should be done to determine the correct size for a new culvert.
A “full project” would also include such steps as surveying and mapping the road, designing the reconstruction, and administering the bid process and the construction.
The rebuild, said Berry, should be good for 15 to 20 years.
He estimated the rough cost at $300,000 to $320,000.
Selectman Brooks Morton agreed with the general assessment of the road’s condition
“The pavement is just little pieces,” he said. “A good, hard plowing could take it right off.”
He favored a watershed analysis study, saying there is seepage from the bankings along the road.
He also noted that section of road is where people park to go swimming in the Sunday River.
Berry said the road design could provide for widening the parking area somewhat so cars can get off the road.
The board decided to review the nine-page written proposal and consider it again at its next meeting Oct. 15.
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