Rumford board approves rebuild of Isthmus, Swain roads

RUMFORD — Selectmen Thursday unanimously approved more than $700,000 worth of work this summer on Isthmus and Swain roads.

The work will be done through Bruce A. Manzer Inc. of Anson.

Town Manager Linda-Jean “L-J” Briggs said the funding for the eight-mile roadwork project will come from the permanent roads account, which has a balance of $1.5 million.

Todd Sawyer of Bruce A. Manzer said Isthmus Road project includes reclaim and fine grading, as well as a two-inch base, for a total of $506,859. He added that the 22,100-foot project doesn’t include the one-inch overlay, which carries an estimated cost of $215,000 and will not be completed until the 2018 construction season.

Briggs recommended that Manzer also work on nearby Swain Road, as he said the town would save on mobilization costs.

The board approved that recommendation in a second unanimous vote.

Sawyer said the approach to Swain Road will be to shim and overlay for this section of road due to the issues with flow rate of water and the existing stability of the ditch lines.

Due to the amount of basins and manholes there, proceeding with a full reconstruction would be significantly more costly for the town, he said.

“We’re about 10 years behind on our streets,” Interim Public Works Director Mike Mills said.

Work on Isthmus Road will also include replacing the 15-inch culverts with 20-inch culvert, he said.

In other business, selectmen unanimously approved the nomination of Greater Rumford Community Center Director Gary Dolloff for the 2017-18 Rumford Citizen of the Year.

Seth Carey wrote in his nomination letter that if not for “Gary’s tireless dedication to the GRCC,” Rumford would no longer have “this gem of the town that most of us grew up with for generations.”

He said Dolloff rescued the center by volunteering to run it when the former director was injured and decided to retire. Dolloff has run numerous fundraisers for the GRCC and also moved the gym downstairs so it is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Carey said Dolloff has helped many people make positive changes in their lives in Rumford and beyond, which is why he should be Rumford’s Citizen of the Year.

Dolloff will be presented with the traditional clock plaque at the next board meeting on Aug. 3.

bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net