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Cumberland council approves application for state match to shave Route 100 hill and improve sight lines
Summary
The Town Council authorized the town manager to apply for a MaineDOT Municipal Partnership Initiative grant to fund lowering the roadway and shoulder improvements on Route 100 at Range Road and Lower Methodist Road; the town would pair roughly $650,000 in local TIF funds with up to $750,000 in state MPI funds if awarded.
Cumberland Town Council on April 14 authorized the town manager to apply for a Municipal Partnership Initiative (MPI) grant from the Maine Department of Transportation to lower the roadway and widen shoulders on Route 100 at Range Road and Lower Methodist Road.
The request is intended to improve driver sight lines at the Jay Brothers driveway and at the dip near Lower Methodist Road, a site councilors and residents have identified as prone to close calls and crashes. The MPI is a state program that will match local funds up to a capped amount; presenters said the state has indicated interest in the application.
The town’s engineering presentation described a base bid focused on the Jay Brothers driveway that would cut the roadway grade by about 2 feet at the hill’s highest point to meet MDOT sight-line standards. Two bid alternates would extend work at the Methodist Road dip and widen shoulders to provide more space for bicyclists and pedestrians. Presenters estimated the Jay Brothers portion at about $650,000 and the Methodist alternate about $230,000; with the town’s current set-aside of roughly $600,000 and a possible MPI match of up to $750,000, the total project value could reach about $1.3 million if all alternates are included. Those dollar figures were presented as estimates and are approximate.
Councilors and the presenters said MDOT engineers had reviewed the plans and the department is receptive to the scope and safety rationale. The town manager told the council the $600,000 identified for matching would come from TIF 1 funds previously set aside for a Route 1 project that did not move forward; staff said the reallocation would not require a new tax increase. Planning staff and consultants said they expect to seek MPI programming decisions soon and, if awarded, would advertise bids in the fall for summer construction next year to get competitive pricing.
Presenters acknowledged the project has not yet been put out to bid and that contractor schedules are tight this year; they recommended bidding in October to secure work for the next season. No systematic crash report was produced at the meeting; one councilor said they recalled “at least six accidents” on that stretch last summer, and presenters said DOT records and local business owners indicate frequent close calls and some crashes. Engineers told the council they chose the longer sight-line standard in their analysis to account for real-world driving speeds on the hill.
The council moved and unanimously approved a motion to authorize the town manager to apply for MPI matching funds for the Route 100 improvements. Staff said they would return with grant paperwork and next steps if the application progresses.
The authorization is limited to applying for the MPI funds; final project scope, contract awards and construction schedules will depend on the grant outcome, formal bidding and subsequent council approvals.
