The Harpswell Select Board has unanimously approved a $621,000 contract with Richmond-based All States Construction Inc. for improvements to Peabody Road, on Harpswell Neck.
Peabody Road branches off from Harpswell Neck Road and runs parallel for about seven-tenths of a mile before the roads reconnect. The road improvement project was approved by voters at the March 2024 Town Meeting by a narrow margin of 97-72.
The Select Board approved the contract at its meeting on Thursday, June 5. The contract covers paving and drainage improvements, including the replacement of four culverts and the addition of a fifth one. The project will maintain the road’s current width of 15 to 19 feet, while adding new gravel along the shoulders.
At the March 2024 Town Meeting, Peabody Road resident Richard Graves voiced concerns that motorists would speed down the improved roadway. At the June 5 meeting, an engineer with the firm planning the project said the intersections with Harpswell Neck Road would be angled at close to 90 degrees. Engineer Will Haskell, of South Portland-based Gorrill Palmer, said this change would inhibit drivers from maintaining high speeds as they enter and exit Peabody Road.
Town Administrator Kristi Eiane said the contract doesn’t include speed humps or similar traffic-calming elements, but that such features could be added in the future. “I think it’s something we’re going to potentially have to address,” Eiane told the board.
The Select Board opted to forgo competitive bidding on the project, citing All States’ low price and excellent work on the reconstruction of Basin Point Road in 2022 and 2023. According to the Peabody Road contract, all work must be completed by Oct. 15.
