Public Works crews ready to tackle snowstorms this winter

Town of Windham snowplows stand ready to begin clearing 
streets as winter nears in the Sebago Lakes region. Both
Windham and Raymond Department of Public Works directors
say crews, equipment and supplies are prepared for when winter
storms strike the area this winter. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 
 

By Ed Pierce

Winter is nearing and both Public Works Departments in Windham and Raymond say they are ready to clear away snow when storms strike in the Lakes Region.    

Members of the Windham Public Works Department plow about about 120 total miles of roadways every winter and the department’s ongoing priority during the winter months is to keep Windham roads clear and safe with residents able to commute on town streets without incident.

According to Doug Fortier, Windham Public Works Director, Windham typically deploys 17 drivers to plow town streets during snowstorms, but depending upon weather conditions, other department staff members may be drafted to help out if needed.

“For us it’s all hands on deck during storms,” Fortier said. “You could see custodians or other all town workers shoveling or clearing parking lots.”

Fortier said that the department has ordered two new trucks to assist with plowing operations but may not see those new vehicles until next summer.

"They have been ordered but we haven’t seen them yet,” he said. “We use salt and sand and do what we have to do to keep the roads clear.”

Windham snow removal vehicles are equipped with two-way radio communications to direct plow drivers to address problem intersections and roadways as quickly as possible.

Salting roadways in the early stages of a storm keeps the snow from bonding to the pavement and makes for easier removal.  

To create cleaner plowing, Windham may use a little less salt on road surfaces than other towns. It’s estimated that during a typical snowstorm, Windham DPW uses about 60 to 120 tons of salt on town streets.

Salt is purchased and replenished during the summer and off-season months and has been readily available for stockpiling this year.

The most important thing that our residents can do to help us in the snow removal process is to be patient, Fortier said.

Raymond Public Works Director Nathan White said his crew of nine full-time and part-time staff members stands ready for whenever storms hit the town.

“We’ve been ready for some time now,” White said. “We always shut down for the week of Thanksgiving but before we did, we decided to run through everything once again and have everything down just in case.”

He said all Raymond snowplow drivers have reviewed their assigned routes and all snow removal trucks have been prepared for plowing.

White says that Raymond’s Department of Public Works crews maintain about 56 miles of town roads and like their counterparts in Windham, they use salt during snowstorms.

“Our stockpile was purchased using state DOT bidding and actually the price for salt dropped slightly from a year ago,” White said. “It wasn’t a big decrease, but it did go down some and every little bit helps.”

White said a sandpile has been replenished near Raymond Public Works for residents who need sand for their residential driveway.

The sand can be found in a small wooden shed on the right side of the Public Works lot and residents are limited to no more than a couple of 5-gallon pails of sand at a time. The sandpile is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday but closes during storms because of snowplow traffic.

For this winter season, Raymond has two trucks which will be pressed into snowplow service and White said that the town uses a fleet of up to seven vehicles in total for plowing during snowstorms.

As far as what residents can do to assist during winter storms, White said Raymond crews are experienced and know how to clear roads safely and efficiently.

“We work around our residents, it’s just snow,” he said. “We’re prepared for anything, and this year is no different.” <

Raymond Public Works completes town roadwork projects for season

By Brianna Bizier

Maine winters are hard on just about everything. Birds fly south or spend the winter trying to find enough food to stay warm. Many animals hibernate, grow thick winter coats, or bundle up in layers of wool and down jackets. After a long Maine winter of freezing temperatures, sleet, snow, and salt, even our residential roads need some serious TLC. So, while Ben Franklin might have said the only certainties in life are death and taxes, for Mainers there are at least three certainties: death, taxes, and road construction.

Following reconstruction of a section of Mountain Road by
the Raymond Public Works Department, new stop signs have
been added at the intersection of Tenny Hill Road and
Mountain Road. PHOTO BY BRIANA BIZIER 

Raymond’s residents and visitors can drive a bit easier now that several major road improvement projects have been completed. The Raymond Public Works Department finished surface paving and shoulder work on Brown and Gore Roads, two residential spur roads that branch off busy Route 85. Shaw Road on Raymond Cape was also reconstructed with subsurface pavement, ditching improvements, and tree work.

This tree work is an essential part of maintaining roads here in the Pine Tree State. Almost 90 percent of the state of Maine is forest, making us the most-forested state in the nation. While Mainers do love our trees, those picturesque overhanging branches can become hazards if they start to block visibility by making it harder for drivers to see other vehicles, pedestrians, or even some of the local wildlife going for a stroll along the side of the road. Pruning back these trees also allows more sunlight to hit the road and melt another one of Maine’s major driving hazards: ice.

Raymond’s Public Words Department also completed a substantial reconstruction last year on the section of Mountain Road which stretches from Tenny Hill Road to Conesca Road, near the popular Raymond Community Forest. This picturesque, steep, and winding residential road received new culverts, re-ditching to enhance drainage, and major tree work to improve visibility for drivers and pedestrians and to allow sunlight to reach the road. Finally, two stop signs were added to the intersection of Tenny Hill Road and Mountain Road.

“That was a major project,” said Nathan White, the Public Works Director in Raymond. Because the

stop signs change the traffic flow in Raymond, White had to consult with the Maine Department of Transportation Engineers before adding the stop signs.

“I think it was an overdue safety upgrade,” White said.

He explained that, over the years, several drivers had blown right through that particular intersection and ended up either in the ditch or in the front yard across Tenny Hill Road. In response to those incidents, as well as several complaints and concerns from local residents, Raymond’s newest stop signs were erected this past year to make sure drivers come to a full stop before entering Tenny Hill Road from Mountain Road.

Although road construction season is over for the moment, Raymond’s Public Works Department is already looking ahead to 2021.

“Every year we plan to improve at least one public road,” White said.

This coming summer, White and the Public Works Department are proposing a large “reclaiming” of Main Street in Raymond. This massive project, which would be completed with the help of a grant from the Maine Department of Transportation, would involve grinding up the existing road, improving the drainage, and repaving the road. Finally, this coming year’s proposed reconstruction of Main Street is also slated to add sidewalks for pedestrians.

“Traffic in Raymond is heavier than it’s ever been,” White said, “so sidewalks are more important than ever.”

These new sidewalks will stretch the full length of Main Street, from Route 302 to the Raymond Village Library.

As Raymond and Windham residents know, keeping everyone safe while staying one step ahead of winter, and the toll our frequently dramatic weather can take on our local infrastructure, is a constant challenge. It’s a challenge Raymond Public Works tackles every single year to make sure our roads are as safe as possible for our drivers, walkers, and wildlife. <