A Maine Department of Transportation crew places barriers on Route 17 Wednesday, Feb. 22 around a culvert that collapsed the previous evening. The collapse can be seen in the dip in the road at right. (Photo courtesy Damian Veilleux)
The Route 17 culvert that collapsed in Jefferson last week has led to a month-long road closure for replacement by the Maine Department of Transportation.
According to a press release from the department, a new culvert being built this month will have an expected lifespan of 100 years.
Department spokesperson Damian Veilleux said the culvert was already slated for replacement this summer before it collapsed on the evening of Feb. 21. He said the department does not know how the existing pipe failed, but routine inspections had showed it was in poor condition from corrosion.
The failed culvert has an 11 1/2-foot span and will be replaced with a 14-by-6-foot concrete box culvert, according to Veilleux. The new culvert will have an 84-square-foot opening, 20 square feet larger than that of the existing steel convert.
This larger culvert will be more resilient because of its size, according to the press release. Its construction keeps a section of Route 17 closed until Friday, March 24.
The closed area is east of the road’s intersection with Route 32, near the former Peaslee’s Quick Stop.
The reconstruction will be completed by T. Buck Construction, of Turner, with a $1,496,111 contract. The contract was awarded in the fall of 2022 because replacement was anticipated, according to Veilleux.
An 11-mile detour is in place using routes 32, 126, and 220.
A collapsed culvert has led to a closure of a section of Route 17 in Jefferson slated to last until Friday, March 24. A replacement culvert with a 100-year lifespan will be larger to increase resiliency, according to the Maine Department of Transportation. (Photo courtesy Damian Veilleux)
