China road committee discusses ways to improve town roads

by Mary Grow

China Road Committee members discussed several town roads, ways to improve them and related issues at an hour-and-a-half long March 25 meeting.

Their conclusions will become recommendations to the select board as that group considers the 2025-26 road budget.

Committee members had as background information a list of roads paved or – mostly – repaved since the summer of 2019, divided into four quadrants. Quadrant 2, in northwestern China, was due for most of this summer’s work; many of its more than 12 miles were last done in 2022.

In that area, Public Works Director Shawn Reed recommended 1.85 miles of fresh asphalt on Maple Ridge Road and 1.24 miles of chip-seal on Neck Road, south from the Stanley Hill Road intersection.

For the last three years, China has been redoing some roads with chip-seal, a less expensive method than adding a layer of liquid asphalt. Reed said he is mostly pleased with the way chip-sealed roads have held up; committee member Brent Chesley’s verdict was “So far, so good.”

The group discussed whether Maple Ridge Road is so bad it should be dug up and rebuilt, instead of just repaved.

Winslow town officials are rebuilding their part of Maple Ridge Road, Reed said. Not all of the major paving companies take on rebuilding projects.

Reed pointed out that some roads in Quadrant 3, in southeastern China, could also use work; he recommended redoing 1.66 miles on Hanson Road.

China officials plan to use a large amount of this year’s road money to rebuild and pave Town Landing Road, limiting other options.

Discussion of Town Landing Road, which leads from South China Village’s Village Street to a China Lake boat landing, focused on the need for improvements to control erosion into the lake, and to reduce annual maintenance costs. Reed foresees ditching, adding gravel and riprap and sloping the pavement, either from a higher center to both ditches or toward only one ditch.

Two unresolved issues are whether to try to create a turn-around near the lake and whether to plan on winter maintenance. Reed and Chesley favor plowing the road to ensure emergency access, even if the plow truck has to back out.

Another major project, Reed said, but not for this year, is Clark Road, which runs east off Route 32 (Vassalboro Road) and dead-ends on the west side of China Lake. It is the only remaining town-owned gravel road, and costs extra money for gravel and grading.

Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood suggested another alternative would be to ask voters at some future town meeting to discontinue the road, leaving maintenance responsibility to landowners.

Clark Road leaves Route 32 through property whose owner opposes paving it, several people said. It is named for, and provides access to, a house built by some of the Clark family who were China’s first settlers in 1773. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

China and Vassalboro have pooled their paving bids for some years, and Reed intends to do the same this year; he has been coordinating with Vassalboro Public Works Director Brian Lajoie. The group discussed whether China gained by combining and decided to investigate further before this time next year.

Committee chairman and town office staffer Jen
nifer Chamberlain said she expects to send out requests for bids early in April; April 17 or 18 might be the deadline to return bids.

Committee members did not schedule another meeting until select board members have reviewed their recommendations, and probably until bids come in. Reed suggested they might plan to meet quarterly the rest of this year to prepare to do something about Clark Road next year.