Lorie Dorr, a longtime Standish resident, travels the bumpy and rolling terrain of Route 35 out of Sebago Lake Village toward Windham on a daily basis, each time wondering why the state doesn’t do something to improve road conditions.

She’s so fed up with the stretch of road between routes 114 and 237 that she has called town hall and the Maine Department of Transportation to lobby on behalf of reconstructing the important Standish-Windham artery that carries close to 10,000 vehicles per day.

Those complaints seem to be paying off. Standish town leaders, likewise frustrated by Route 35’s dangerous pavement conditions, are in talks with the state and have offered to pay half of an estimated $50,000 overlay of the worst section of Route 35 if the state will prioritize a full reconstruction between the village and Route 237.

“People know the road is terrible,” Dorr said. “With the amount of traffic going through that area you’d think something would be done to improve the conditions. It’s so narrow. It’s crowned. The road is literally breaking up. And I’m definitely not the only one who feels like this.”

Indeed, Dorr was one of several Standish residents who vented their frustrations Monday night at a meeting of the Standish Public Health and Safety Committee. Committee members and Standish town councilors who attended shared the residents’ concerns with Route 35’s pavement woes and came up with several interim solutions to incorporate while the state decides when and if a total reconstruction of the road is warranted.

COMPLAINTS AIRED

Attendees agreed that speeding trucks are the main reason why the road is in such disrepair. Heavy weight plus excessive speed are serious concerns, and committee members resolved to petition the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office to enforce a zero tolerance policy concerning the 35 mph speed limit in the residential area of the road.

“All it’s going to take is one or two times for (police) to actually stop one of these truckers. We need to slow them down,” said Councilor Lou Stack.

Also posed was the idea of contacting the trucking companies directly, or handing out flyers to truckers as they stop at the routes 114/35 intersection.

But beyond requesting road reconstruction from MDOT, stricter enforcement by deputies and requesting speed limit compliance from trucking company officials, committee members said they were powerless to do anything.

Residents at the meeting told tales of close calls and accidents involving trucks, most recently one that occurred in January and involved a logging truck. Bob Stack, who lives along Route 35 in Sebago Lake Village, said he and his neighbors can’t sleep because of the heavy trucks’ use of engine brakes and the vibrations caused when the trucks run at high speed over potholes.

“When that trailer jumps, my house jumps along with it,” Bob Stack said.

According to Town Manager Gordon Billington, there have been 49 reportable accidents on the stretch of Route 35 between routes 114 and 237 in the last four years. And with each rainstorm, the road gets more dangerous, public works director Roger Mosley said.

“After every fair rainstorm, DOT is out there with the barricades because the road floods every time,” Mosley said.

Mosley said there is a lack of pavement, little drainage, less-than-adequate sight distance and excessive crowning, not to mention a multitude of potholes and cracking.

“The entire stretch needs to be reconstructed, that’s all there is to it,” Mosley said.

RESOLUTION PASSED

On Feb. 9, the Standish Town Council passed a resolution requesting the state transportation department “address the deteriorating condition of Route 35 from Johnson Field to Route 237.” That section winds and curls over rough roadway along the edge of Sebago Lake. The council requested DOT for “an immediate reduction in speed” and that signage be installed warning motorists of the hazards “as well as for an inspection and scheduling of repairs to this hazardous section of road.”

In the resolution, the Town Council also noted poor sighting, many potholes, cracks, surface crowning and lack of breakdown lanes that make it a “dangerous section of road for bicyclists or pedestrians.”

While the state Department of Transportation has many road projects on its plate, and not much money to play with, towns are being asked to submit their requests for road repair. Dan Stewart, regional planner for MDOT, said he has talked with Standish officials about the need for a reconstruction of Route 35 between routes 114 and 237 and that the project will be considered in the next biennial repair budget.

“We certainly recognize that road is in need of repair,” Stewart said. “And we are actively seeking input for the 2012-2013 work plan. I can’t say which roads will be included in that work plan obviously. We will wait and see.”

Lorie Dorr suggested to Stewart in a recent conversation that DOT should reconstruct Route 35 while it is rebuilding the bridge over the Mountain Division Rail with Trail near Johnson Field. According to Stewart, the bridge will be reconstructed this summer for $3.5 million.

“Yes, it would make sense to do both at the same time, but at this point I can’t say whether that would happen,” Stewart said. “It’s highly unlikely. But, I agree, it would make sense.”

During a recent rainstorm, barricades were placed to warn traffic of hazardous potholes on Route 35 between routes 237 and 114, a practice that has become standard procedure due to lack of drainage. Nearby residents and Standish officials are frustrated by the state’s lack of action on the dangerous stretch of roadway and met last Monday to discuss possible remedies while the state decides whether to reconstruct the road. (Staff photo by John Balentine)