Engineers Working on Kitemauag Road Plan

Mayor Joe Jaskiewicz said Tuesday that engineers are working on a plan to deal with the culvert issue on Kitemaug Road. He believes the plan should be in place by Thursday.

A person out walking last week noticed that part of the roadway was sagging, and alerted the town. Department of Public Works staffers did some digging, closed off the road, and detoured traffic.

Engineers examined the site Tuesday, Jaskiewicz said, and are working on a plan to dig up the north side of the culvert, knock down the cement headwall there and direct the stream through a pipe.

The waterfall drops about 4 feet, Jaskiewicz said.

Residents who live along the detour, primarily those who live along the river on the narrow, usually lightly traveled section of Kitemaug Road, have complained about the number of cars on the road, and the speed at which those cars are traveling.

Missing the turns, some cars have ended up on people's front lawns, and in residents' driveways. At the posted 25 mph, it takes about 8 minutes to drive the entire 2.5 mile detour.

Department of Public Works staffers have put up reflective curve signs. Montville Police are stationed, when possible, on the road to slow drivers.

Jaskiewicz said he hopes a line-painting crew will be at work by the end of the week there, striping the center of the road.

"People have to drive slow," he said. "That's the main thing."