What's The Spring Scoop On Mud Season

[Henry]

I see the Fletcher Town Trucks going by with what looks like maybe crushed stone and once in a while I also see some Fairfax Trucks with the same material.  Have the dirt roads of Fairfax broken up yet?

This is the time of year, or maybe a little later that when we tried driving our old 1935 plymouth up the Ridge Road that we would lose a muffler and possibly a tail pipe as we tried to dodge the deep ruts in the mud.  Wasn't that many years ago I remember looking down the Wilkins Road from the Fletcher Road and I could see a muddy rutty road that cars were having difficulty getting through.  The Woods Hollow Road that we used to try and take to avoid the Old Route 128 with its many sunken culverts was also impassable at times.

It would appear that our local town road crews have found a solution to these spring roads.  Not sure what their secrets are, but I don't hear anybody saying they can't get out because of these mud season roads.

[lena6]

Can't be you know the Road Commisioner.  He is the most honest person there is.  HOW DARE YOU.

[David Shea]

Henry,
The roads up in my part of town have started to break up.  The road crew uses crushed stone to fill in the areas where ruts are happening.  They have been doing this for a number of years, each year that the put the stone down the problem of roads breaking up seems to get a little bit better year by year. 

I can assure you that I have not lost a tailpipe this year on a Fairfax Road.

[Henry]

I do remember a number of years ago one of the selectmen telling me they were using crushed stone with the eventual hope that the roads in the spring would no longer be a problem.  I don't drive on the back roads, but can see definite results on this end of the Wilkins Road from the Fletcher Road

[Henry]

Note from JoAnne Wilkins:

Hello Henry,

Your question about Fairfax roads from a mail carrier.

The roads are in pretty good shape. There are pot holes on the portions that are used by farm equipment, especially sap wagons. Crushed stone is used in these areas.

The frost bubbles are practically non-existent, on my section of the mail route. Over the past few years the road crew has dug up the roadbed, put down a farbic (of some sort), and then covered it over with gravel. They have done the worst ones in each year, and have gradually gotten the problem pretty well solved. My route has some areas in Fletcher and Fairfied, and I travel to Westford, also. You can just about tell where the town line is, by the condition of the roads.

The main road, especially Rte 104 is another story.

Jo

[LauriH]

Be carefull at the top of the hill on Meade Rd. (the one on the Rood Mill end).  I never thought I would bottom out on pavement, but it happened yesterday on Brick Church(just after I turned left onto Brick Church from Cherrierville).
Other than that the roads are pretty good this year.

[Henry]

I believe they were out repairing bad spots yesterday, and believe they may have been in that area.  I will send an e-mail to Stacy who can contact Don and let him know in case he was not aware - Good idea to call Stacy at the Town Office or one of the girls in a case like this, just to make sure Don is aware

[Papi]

Rood Mill has several nasty spots that haven't been touched yet...take it slow....

[CLach]

as of 2 days ago, Shepardsons Hollow Rd was full of ruts as well, pretty bumpy through there

[West62]

Just took the Pilon road to get around the accident at the top of Merrill Hill.  Oh my goodness I haven't seen backroads that bad in a long time but then I do try to avoid them this time of year.  I live on West Street and they have been agressively treating with stone so it's not bad.

[Henry]

An observer's report of the accident this morning:

A motorcycle accident on Brick Church Rd this am., where LauriH commented on. I believe the motorcycle wiped out on the frost  heaves. The rider was injured, but I don't know the extent.

The motercycle was 50 ft or so away from the driver. He was being tended to when I went by. When I came back around the area, later, warning signs had been put up and the road smoothed over.

The frost bubbles have appeared in many areas today.

[kevin]

Cambridge/Toof Rd and Plains Rd are both pretty bad.