A 3.2-mile stretch of Routes 236 and 4 in South Berwick that had been maintained by the state has become the responsibility of the town for at least the next 10 years.
The changeover was ordered by the state last year when the town’s population surpassed 8,000, and the town had one year to prepare before the switch officially went into effect, in accordance with Department of Transportation regulations.
The stretch includes 1.13 miles of Dow Highway,1.55 miles on Main and Portland streets, and .44 miles of Berwick Road.
The town’s responsibilities now include snow and ice control; pothole repair and general surface repairs; pavement markings; traffic signs; maintaining traffic signals; maintaining and installing guardrails; railroad signs; sidewalks, street sweeping; and brush control, according to the DOT.
The South Berwick Police Department remains responsible for monitoring traffic and issuing citations on these roads, while the state is still responsible for speed limit and route number signage, as well as bridge maintenance.
Because of the added road work, the town bought a new plow truck for $147,000 to maintain the current level of maintenance in winter, according to Town Manager Tim Pellerin. The cost included $63,000 for the chassis and $84,000 for equipment. The new plow brings the total number of town trucks to nine.
The town also hired a full-time employee at a salary of $68,000 to serve as plow mechanic and operator. The additional employee will save money in the long run, according to Dawn Moreau, administrative executive assistant, because instead of sending equipment and vehicles out for major repairs, as in the past, the work will be done in-house.
The state will provide the town with $20,254 annually, said Pellerin, through a DOT Local Roads Assistance program that determines funding based on miles of state highway in a municipality.
According to DOT regulations, when the U.S. census count of a municipality exceeds 7,500, all state highways in so-called urban compact areas of that community must be maintained by the town. Urban compact areas are sections along state highways where structures are closer than 200 feet apart for at least a quarter mile. New signs indicating which areas in South Berwick are considered urban compact were recently installed.
The portions of Route 236 that have been turned over to the town will remain the town’s responsibility for at least 10 years, even if the town population dips below 8,000, Pellerin noted.
