West Paris roads 'need work'

WEST PARIS —  A portion of West Paris' roads were surveyed recently and, according to selectmen at their meeting last Thursday, a few in particular "really need work." 

The survey included 19.4 miles of town roads.

At Thursday's meeting Town Manager John White provided selectmen with a draft of the road inventory, which prioritizes each road from low to high importance.

The medium-high priority roads include Morse Hill, Benson Hill and Tuelltown roads, according to the survey.

Low-medium priority roads include Abbott Hill and Forbes roads and the roads with low priority are Trask and Littlehale roads and Spike Horn Loop. 

He said not only does the road inventory analyze the roads, it also includes different cost options for the repairs. 

For instance, to shim a 1.2-mile section of Abbott Hill Road with a two-inch overlay is estimated to cost $156,000. There are other options, like reclaiming the road, which could cost the town anywhere between $240,000 and $294,000, according to White's report. 

Some roads like Benson Hill, Morse Hill and Tuelltown roads recently had drainage fixed throughout some sections, said White, but the priority of repairing these roads in general are still higher than others in town, particularly on Benson Hill, where drainage was fixed for only two-tenths of a mile.

"The rest of Benson Hill needs work," White said. It was determined by the survey that, eight-tenths, or nearly a mile of Benson Hill Road still needs some rehabilitation as it is traveled fairly often, selectmen said. 

Ellingwood Road was also included in the partial road survey and is a medium priority road with poor drainage.

According to White, the amount of traffic on a road plays a role in the road's rating. He said most of the roads in town are "pretty low traffic." 

Though not included in the survey, selectmen pointed out that Stearns Hill Road also needs some work.

"I think the important thing is [to fix] Tuelltown and Stearns Hill, because those roads access the town," White told selectmen. 

"Our roads are pretty rugged," said White. 

In other news, the board: 

• Heard from White that he has updated the town's website, www.westparisme.com, to include selectmen meeting agendas and minutes. 

• Reported that the town's attorney has issued a notice for a dangerous building at 69 Morse Hill Road. A public hearing is scheduled for November 8 at 5:15 p.m. to determine whether the trailer is a danger or nuisance. 

• Announced that the prices at the All American Tavern, a new restaurant on Route 26, are reasonable and the atmosphere is nice. 

• Announced that the polls for the presidential election will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the town office on Tuesday, November 6.