SOUTHWEST HARBOR — Three local construction companies might get the go-ahead for temporary fixes to the storm-destroyed Seawall Road, but there are a few issues to sort through first — including how much local taxpayers could have to contribute.
The road, which is a state road that runs through Southwest Harbor to national park land, was destroyed in a series of winter storms and is not yet fixed as the state determines how, when, and if, to do so. Many area residents and businesses have pushed for a fix to be made.
The Seawall Road links Southwest Harbor to the Bass Harbor Head lighthouse, popular trails (Wonderland and Ship Harbor), and Acadia National Park’s Seawall campground and picnic area. To work on the road, the Maine Department of Transportation had to receive permission from the park.
Southwest Harbor Town Manager Marilyn Lowell told Select Board members Tuesday that State Sen. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth, had sent Maine DOT Deputy Commissioner Dale Doughty, John Goodwin, BFP Trucking, and Doug Gott and Sons a message.
“All of them are willing to do work on the road to temporarily have it open or a one-way, possibly, sooner than later,” Lowell said of the companies.
They all agreed to work together and share the burden, she said. “So not one contractor is footing the whole bill, so to speak.”
It was unclear what cost the temporary fix would be to the town, but it seemed minimal. Select Board members hoped to have that clarified.
“Dale hasn’t spoken to any of them,” Lowell said of the communication between the Maine DOT commissioner and local companies. “His comments were seeing if the town is open to overseeing the work.”
That, she said, would include monitoring the road during storms, opening the road in a safe manner, and also making sure that all environmental regulations were met. The state would provide signage. She has contacted the state about what those environmental regulations were and the definition of “opening the road in a safe manner.” It has not yet responded about those specific questions. She hopes for a response soon.
Lowell also said the state expects a final decision about the final disposition of the road next week.
Vice Chair Natasha Johnson suggested inviting the contractors to talk to the board since most, if not all, of the conversation has been with the town of Tremont though the road itself is in Southwest Harbor.
Chair Carolyn Ball said she’d rather not bring the contractors in during their busy season unless they had to. The board agreed to have an emergency meeting if needed.
Shortly before that discussion, an attendee unfurled a red banner that read “All businesses open.” The Maine DOT said the banner couldn’t be placed underneath the road closure sign, but it could be put anywhere else.
The problem becomes where anywhere else might be.
Those attending the meeting hope it could be as close as possible to the Maine DOT sign that says that the Seawall Road is closed.
“It’s pretty slow out there. Losing-$3,000-5,000-a-day slow,” she told Select Board members of the businesses located in the area.
The affected businesses are starving, one local man said in a June public hearing led by Maine DOT.
A nearby heath is a unique ecosystem and the road helps protect that. Many attending that June meeting expressed their worries about the heath’s health.
“We need access to emergency services. We need home care,” one woman said.
The people attending the Maine DOT-run public meeting ended up providing testimony, one after the other, about why the Seawall Road needed to stay. And for those speaking, it seemed a no brainer.
“Any road that we have? There’s a good reason” it’s there, one woman said of the roads on Mount Desert Island.
The first storm that heavily impacted the road was Jan. 10, and the Maine DOT cleared the debris. A second storm on Jan. 13 caused additional storm damage. Debris was cleared again. On Feb. 14, the National Park Service gave Maine DOT a permit to do work in the area and the road reopened. On March 10, another storm caused major damage. The road closed again and stayed closed. The water main was eventually back in service on April 30.
To get to those areas now, people have to detour through Tremont, which can sometimes take 25 minutes or more. Now, that detour route to Tremont is undergoing another state project, which started in late June.
This story was originally published by The Bar Harbor Story. To receive regular coverage from the Bar Harbor Story, sign up for a free subscription here.
