ARUNDEL, Maine — Resident Howard Washburn told the Board of Selectmen Monday about concerns he has regarding safety issues with traffic on the Route 1 corridor. According to Washburn, who owns property on Route 1, he has observed several near miss accidents, particularly at the intersection of Proctor Road and Route 1.
Washburn’s main concerns involve the speed limit, which is currently 40 miles per hour from the Biddeford-Arundel town line to Proctor Road. “It is a racetrack through there,” Washburn said. “You’re talking 80, 90, 100 mph vehicles going through there at times.”
According to Arundel Public Works Director Roger Taschereau within the last two years the Maine Department of Transportation (Maine DOT) reduced the speed in that area of Route 1 from 50 mph to 40 mph. Washburn would like to see that speed further reduced to 35 mph.
Taschereau said that in order to further reduce the speed, Arundel would have to petition Maine DOT for the reduction and a survey would have to be done to see what speeds the traffic is currently traveling.
Washburn is also concerned about the intersection of Route 1 and Proctor Road. He said it is a hairpin turn from Route 1 onto Proctor Road. “We have pictures of buses backing into Route 1 because they can’t make the turn,” Washburn said.
Taschereau agrees with Washburn that the Proctor Road intersection is not as safe as it could be. “There’s no question it’s bad,” Taschereau said. He believes the only way to fix the intersection is for Arundel to purchase some land in order to change the design of the road.
Arundel Town Manager Keith Trefethen agreed with Taschereau that it makes sense to purchase land to increase the width of the entrance going onto Proctor Road from Route 1. “It would be nice to be able to have some additional land either side of that road to make that turn lane a little bit more efficient,” Trefethen said.
“In the wintertime the buses are constantly after us to keep that intersection clean of snow so they can make the corners,” Taschereau said. “As it is now when they turn in there, there’s no way a bus can come in making a right hand turn and stay on the pavement.”
Washburn said there is also a concern about vehicles parked at the intersection. “We need to put signs up,” Washburn said. “Stopping people from parking there, putting their campers there, parking their boats there for sale.”
Selectman Daniel Dubois asked the other members of the board if they were interested in petitioning Maine DOT to further reduce the speed limit. The selectmen agreed and Trefethen said he would begin making inquiries. Taschereau recommended no parking signs be installed on both sides of the intersection and the selectmen agreed.
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