LIVERMORE, ME - Livermore, Maine is a rural community of rolling countryside along the Androscoggin River. The town is also in the snow belt of south central Maine. Snowfalls of 24 inches are not uncommon, and winter snowfall totals can be upwards of over 100 inches. When followed by a heavy spring rain, which happens more and more often, the trickle that is Ford Brook becomes a torrent of water that has destroyed both bridge and concrete culverts before.
The most vulnerable spot along Ford Brook was the low crossing at Turkey Lane. Turkey Lane is a residential area within the modest bedroom community. With no other exit when the road is washed out, 30 families were totally isolated. The problem of Turkey Lane closures has had a ripple effect on neighbors, schools, businesses, municipal, and utility services. When the road was closed, the residents were not only cut off from emergency services but also jobs. And in this area, even two days of missed wages makes a noticeable difference.
After much public input, the town of Livermore decided that the only viable solution was to increase the size of the twin culverts with a properly sized arch culvert and elevate the road bed. The town then conducted a hydrology study with the plan of action to apply for a Hazard Mitigation Grants Program (HMGP) grant. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) HMGP provides grant monies to states, Indian tribes, and local governments for long-term hazard mitigation projects following a major disaster declaration. FEMA pays up to 75 percent of the project cost, while either the state or the applicant covers the remaining 25 percent.
The grant was applied for in August 2005 (under DR-1591-ME) for the improvement of storm water passage under Turkey Lane. In May 2007, the HMGP grant was approved and work began. The Turkey Lane project set out to control the flooding and washing away of the road by modifying the twin culverts to a single arch culvert and elevating,
crowning, and paving the road by three feet. The project took little more than two months and was completed in August 2007. The total cost of the project was $153,200. The town of Livermore paid the total local share of $38,300.
As of February 2009, Livermore town officials report that the road has not suffered the repeated cycle of damage and washouts. The citizens continue to have a safe and reliable means of traveling to and from their homes.