Board concerned with High St. construction

BUCKFIELD — Construction on High Street was briefly paused as selectmen discussed the project at a special board meeting Tuesday evening.

Selectmen, particularly Martha Catevenis, were concerned with the quality of gravel used on the road's base.

Town Manager Dana Lee told the board that the gravel used by the contractor was of  sub-standard quality.

Lee said he had heard some residents say the loose gravel looked like "beach sand."

Selectman Rodney Allen agreed. "It didn't look very gravely to me," he said. "It looked like sand."

Lee took complete responsibility for not making it clear in the roadwork contract that the town required higher-quality gravel.

He said although the gravel was of sub-standard quality, the road has an excellent compaction score and its base was made up of reclaimed pavement – he was sure it would hold up well.

He told the board that in coming projects, including the work on Bear Pond Road, he would make sure the contractor used higher-quality gravel.

Catevenis said her main concern was that, because the gravel was loose and silty, it could hinder drainage on the road and cause damage when it froze during winter.

"My fear is the water is going to stay at the top of the road and that pavement is not going to last," Catevenis said.

The board meeting was scheduled after Lee was informed that, according to Maine law, road projects that cost over $100,000 needed to use a professional engineer.

Shortly after discovering the regulation, Lee paused the project and had an engineer survey the work already completed on High Street and Bear Pond Road.

The engineers report the work was "done well," and there "were no concerns about methods of materials used."

Catevenis said the project should have been engineered in the beginning.

"Now we're stuck here looking at this mess and I am not amused," she said.

Lee told the board that he would make sure not to repeat the mistake in the future. He said that after the repairs, High Street could last between 12 and 15 years.

The board will discuss drawing up a list of specifications for town construction work in order to prevent similar mistakes in the future.