KINGFIELD — Selectmen have received some expert advice on the proposed Tufts Pond Road construction project.

Jan Wiegman of the Topsham-based Wright Pierce engineering firm updated selectmen Monday on the original 2015 recommendations to restore and maintain the deteriorated road.

Because the base of the road gets wet and stays wet, he said, the rebuilding process must be addressed first.

If ditches aren’t regularly maintained and ruts filled, Wiegman said, the water will start to seep in again and quickly undo the expensive repair work. The culverts get clogged quickly with debris and will deteriorate quickly if not cleaned regularly.

Replacement culverts must be sized correctly to manage the flow of water, especially when rainfall is unexpectedly heavy. Some of the ditches also might need bolstering with rip-rap to forestall future problems, Wiegman said. Although regular vehicle traffic is light, logging operations contribute heavily to the road’s deterioration.

“There’s a lot of heavy truck traffic up there in certain years,” Selectman Walter Kilbreth said.

Logging trucks can weigh 100,000 pounds or more per load, he said.

Some sections should be raised several inches, Wiegman said, to block water seepage. He said he would return in the spring to help selectmen refine their plans.

In other business, selectmen reviewed budget changes related to maintenance tasks, including LP gas service, storm drains and culvert work, and telecommunications. Administrative Assistant Leanna Targett said included the costs to address road flooding from recent heavy rains.

Wastewater system superintendent Mike Shirley also updated selectmen on his concerns about the wastewater pumping stations, including the need for alarms on each of the pumps. According to Targett, the replacement equipment had alarms installed, but Brian Fitch, the former superintendent, did not want them and had them removed. The alarms need to be installed on upgraded panels that Shirley can monitor remotely. Individual warning lights are easy to see, but monitoring them is time-consuming.

“I don’t know how much the alarms are, but I don’t want to have to ride around every four hours (to check the lights),” he said.

Time is running out for someone to become licensed to operate the wastewater system, according to Selectman Ray Meldrum. He asked whether Shirley planned to take the licensing class and exam.

Shirley said he would let them know if he intended to take the required course.

In other matters, Jim Boyce told selectmen the SnoWanderers snowmobile club will host its annual breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 18. at Kingfield Elementary School.