WELLS — The Town of Wells will begin drainage construction in the coming weeks on Pine Ledge Road, off of Route 9B, after the Board of Selectmen unanimously approved action on the project last Tuesday.
The project is years in the making, as it was first initiated with the 2014 Town Meeting.
Town officials had intentions of reconstructing the roads in the area, specifically Pine Ledge Drive, but before a repave and remodel could happen the poor drainage in in the area had to be addressed.
“It’s a neighborhood with about half a mile of road, and the roads been in some rough shape for a long time,” said Town Engineer Mike Livingston. “The town’s had it on the list for a reconstruction project, expect it didn’t make sense to reconstruct it without taking care of the drainage because a lot of the pavement damage is the result of water that bonds and doesn’t have anywhere to go.”
Livingston added that the road is part of a 1970s subdivision, and during that time there wasn’t much detailed road design, which explains the lack of drainage.
Carter summarized at the last Board of Selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday that the Harvey family — who own property in the area — agreed to convey drainage property to the town if the town agreed to convey old family property, which had since been purchased by the town, back to them with a conversation easements on it. The agreement was hashed out in 2014.
Carter added that this year, drainage easements had been discussed and agreed on with other families in the area, and the town is now ready to start with the project.
Livingston said the town has until about Thanksgiving to complete the drainage project and initial repaving process. He said he expects the public works department to begin work “very soon.”
He added that he doesn’t expect roads to be closed at any point.
“At times there might be a one lane road, but at the end of the day we always make sure people can get through to there homes,” Livingston said.
— Staff Writer Ryder Schumacher can be reached at 282-1535, or via email at rschumacher@journaltribune.com.
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