A meeting with Maine Department of Transportation officials to discuss concerns over the installation of a water main in Woolwich became instead a discussion focused on a sinkhole that has forced the partial closure of Route 127, also known as Middle Road. The detour has motorists relying on Nequasset Road and Route 128 and has become a major headache for Bath Iron Works commuters. MaineDOT is fast tracking the repair but the selectboard learned Wednesday afternoon, March 13, the soonest the state road can be safely reopened will be the end of May.

The three to four-foot hole in the northbound lane opened up around 2 p.m. Sunday, March 11 following heavy rains that resulted in flooding up and down the coast including at Pleasant Cove where the new Station 46 bridge is being built. The portion of Route 127 impacted was blamed on a set of collapsing culverts the state was planning to replace next year. “That area’s been slowly sinking right along,” Selectman Dale Chadbourne commented before the meeting. “We’ve been watching it for weeks and repeatedly warned the state there was going to be a problem. Now we’ve got one.”

Selectman Jason Shaw said other than alert MaineDOT of the problem, there was little the town could do. “It’s a state road. We were out there shortly after the hole opened up and alerted people as best we could.”

MaineDOT Region 2 Engineer David Allen told selectmen he understood what they were up against and he was fast tracking the project. “We’re pushing to get it done as soon as possible,” he said, adding MaineDOT would begin advertising for a contractor April 10 with a projected starting date of May 1 for replacement of the culverts and repairing the road. “I’m going to do everything I can to have the road reopened by Memorial Day,” he added.

EMS Director Danny Everts said the prolonged closure of Route 127 was cause for real concern to Woolwich’s first responders. “Our response times will be 10 to 20 minutes longer in that part of town,” he said. “This is a primary route for us and it will directly affect our patient care ...” Everts asked if a temporary fix could be made.

Allen responded he had looked into and rejected doing a temporary repair. “It wouldn’t be safe, or cost effective,” he said.

Jack Shaw, Woolwich road commissioner, disagreed. He told Allen a temporary fix was certainly doable. “My biggest concern is with our first responders and the safety of our residents,” he said. Shaw is also owner of Jack Shaw & Sons Construction on Old Stage Road. “If this had been one of our roads, the repair would have been made and the road reopened by now. With all due respect, I don’t think you are aware of our capabilities,” added Shaw.

“I learned a long time ago not to underestimate Jack Shaw,” responded Allen, who added any option of this nature would have to be between MaineDOT and the town.

Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said his biggest concern with the detour was the increased BIW commuter traffic being diverted to secondary roads. He told the selectboard, about all the sheriff’s department could do was increase deputy patrols of the area to see that motorists were obeying the posted speed limits.

Selectman Allison Hepler noted she had reached out to BIW officials. She said they agreed to make their workers who rely on Route 127 aware of the situation and to use caution when traveling on secondary roads, including Nequasset Road, which passes Woolwich Central School.

Allen promised to provide Woolwich Fire Department with additional temporary signage to use if Route One needs to be closed again at the site of the bridge construction. Firefighters requested the signage to help reroute motorists when the roadway becomes flooded.

On the subject of the Bath Water District project and its impact on Route 127, Allen promised MaineDOT would inspect the road after the project was completed. The selectboard plans to meet with BWD officials and BWD’s contractor and engineer at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 at the town office. Allen said MaineDOT officials will also attend.