RUMFORD — Most flooded roads closed Tuesday and Wednesday in Oxford County were reopened Thursday, according to a state transportation official.
Route 140 from Canton Point Road to Route 4 in Jay remained closed, Mark Hume, regional project manager for the Maine Department of Transportation, said by email Thursday.
High water in some rivers and most streams began receding on Wednesday, while the level of the Androscoggin River in Rumford started dropping by midafternoon Wednesday.
“We’re working on Route 120 in Roxbury and hope to have it open by the end of the day,” Hume said.
The Meadow Brook culvert under Route 120, also called Roxbury Pond Road, washed out Tuesday morning after snow melt and warm temperatures caused the brook to overflow its banks.
Gravel around the pipes was washed out, causing the pavement to partially collapse on both sides. Hume said Tuesday that the Meadow Brook culvert was slated for replacement and he’d try to expedite that project.
Route 120 was the first road closed on Tuesday because of flooding. Heavy rains fell Tuesday into early Wednesday morning before changing over to ice, sleet and snow, closing many more roads.
Hume said Canton Point Road was opened Thursday, as was Route 140 from Canton Point Road to Route 108 in Canton.
A section of Route 136 in Durham, north of the Route 9 intersection, was still closed Thursday, according to the MDOT. It was closed Wednesday.
Route 136 is beside the Androscoggin River, which was still 2½ feet above flood stage in Auburn on Thursday. The river is expected to fall below its 13-foot flood stage by Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Gray.
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- A pickup driver splashes down North River Road in Auburn on Thursday morning as floodwater begins to recede.
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