China Road Committee members met Tuesday morning, March 17, to make recommendations on 2026-27 road paving, as other town committees review the proposed budget for this work.
According to minutes of the meeting, committee members recommended 5.63 miles of town roads be repaved in 2026, as follows: Bog Brook Road, 0.88 miles; Rockwood Drive, 1.35 miles; Ingraham Road, 1.12 miles; Western Ridge Road, 1.36 miles; and Dirigo Road, 0.92 miles (Route 3 to Appletree Lane).
Committee members discussed whether the China Baptist Church parking lot at the head of China Lake should be included in the paving bid. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood will investigate.
Paving the parking lot has been suggested repeatedly in discussions of the boat landing and future recreational development near the causeway, because it is frequently used by people boating and fishing there.
How much paving is done in 2026 will depend on the price of paving material and town meeting voters’ approval of funds to cover proposed work.
Committee members agreed on the need to recommend prompt action to replace the deteriorating culvert on Ingraham Road, preferably with a larger one. Previous attempts to get grant funding for the work have been unsuccessful, but new opportunities are anticipated through the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments.
Two dead-end roads were eyed for possible discontinuance as town roads: Clark Road, which runs east off Route 32 North almost to China Lake about opposite The Narrows; and Smith Road, which runs southeast off Route 202 just west of the Route 32 North intersection.
Shawn Reed, Director of Public Services and a road committee member, said the state plans to rebuild part of Route 32 North this summer, and the work is to include improvements to enhance safety at the Clark Road intersection. Committee members considered paving Clark Road, or discontinuing it. They agreed to recommend getting cost estimates for a survey to determine the extent of town ownership.
Under Maine law, discontinuing a road requires multiple steps, starting with the select board giving notice to abutters and ending with a town meeting vote.
Committee members agreed to recommend that China and Vassalboro issue a joint request for paving bids, as they have done in past years. Reed suggested including an option for a multi-year bid, hoping to reduce costs.
Committee member and town office staff member Jennifer Chamberlain is to prepare a request for paving bids and seek committee members’ input. No future committee meeting was scheduled.
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by Mary Grow
