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Route One/Pine Point Road Resiliency

Rt1 & Rt9 Aerial photograph

Project Updates

Please see the table below for the latest project updates, meeting information, and related resources for the Route One - Pine Point Resiliency Project. 

Date Agenda Recording Notes
11/15/2023 N/A N/A
11/9/2023     Agenda Video Stream

Project Contacts

Town Contact

Jami Fitch, Sustainability Manager
207-730-4035
jfitch@scarboroughmaine.org
 

MaineDOT Contact

Ernie Martin, Senior Project Manager
ernest.martin@maine.gov

 

Background

US Route 1 is a major mobility corridor that stretches through the heart of Scarborough. Approximately 30,000 vehicles travel the road on a daily basis. Pine Point Road is the primary access point to Scarborough’s largest beach community and serves as the primary evacuation route for approximately 900 properties in Scarborough’s Pine Point village area. 

Both roads periodically flood with seawater during astronomical high tides and/or storm events, and sea level rise will cause the roads to flood more often.

Maine DOT listed these areas as two of the top priority resiliency projects in the State due to their vulnerability to sea level rise. Past studies, including those carried out by the Sea Level Adaptation Working Group (SLAWG) and private consultants, have also identified these roads among Scarborough’s most vulnerable. Scarborough’s Comprehensive Plan identifies resiliency planning for the Town’s critical infrastructure as a significant priority for the Town. In a 2022 community meeting on climate change and resiliency, 89% of participants at the indicated that they were “very concerned” about resiliency on Scarborough’s infrastructure.

The Marsh is also impacted by sea level rise and development within its watershed. Scarborough Marsh is Maine’s largest salt marsh and provides essential habitat for many threatened and endangered species. Any alteration to the US Route 1 and Pine Point Road will need to consider potential impacts to the Marsh. A comprehensive study is needed to inform a strategy for upgrading the roads to make them more resilient while considering the health of the Marsh and potential impacts to private properties upstream of the road crossings. 

Scarborough Public Works truck plows water off Route One during 1/17/2022 storm.

Route One flooded during 12/23/2022 storm.

Climate-Ready Resiliency Project

On April 22, 2022 the Town of Scarborough was announced as one of 75 communities to receive a Community Action Grant to fight and adapt to climate change. In December 2021, the Governor announced the Community Resilience Partnership, “a program of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future to help Maine communities with local climate action plans to become more resilient against climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” The grants come from this program and support climate priority projects ranging from creating community climate action plans, protecting historic downtowns from rising sea levels, supporting clean energy investments like electric vehicle charging, and more.

Scarborough received $46,240 for its proposed project, “Climate-Ready Infrastructure: Building a Resilient Route 1 and Pine Point Road”. The funding will be used to develop resiliency strategies for US Route 1 where it crosses Scarborough Marsh and State Route 9 (Pine Point Road) near the Maine Audubon Center.

Through this two-year project, the Town of Scarborough will collaborate with the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) to develop a community-supported resiliency strategy for the two major roadways. MaineDOT will lead the technical and engineering components of the project, while the Town of Scarborough will lead community engagement and outreach efforts. 

Resources

Climate Change & Resilience Public Meeting - February 23, 2022 (Video Recording)


Public Works plows through flooding on Route One during a January 17, 2021 winter storm