Maintaining our Orphan Road

The unpaved portion of Grand Marsh Bay Road offers an escape route when the paved road is impassible. More frequent, more intense storms make this an eventual likelihood.

We access this road via deeded right-of-way; it is maintained solely by the voluntary work and contributions of Corea by the Sea residents.

Resident Mel Jackson, long-time volunteer and former “manager” of the road, and Tom McKeag, current road manager, write:

As most everyone knows, the 0.6 mile dirt road across the Oceanside Meadows’ field  is a deeded right of way that connects two town roads, the Corea Road and Grand Marsh Bay Road. This road over private property will likely remain dirt for the foreseeable future. It is the shortest route to Prospect Harbor and beyond for about 60 peninsula families (all households on GMBR, Peninsula, Bay Point, Roaring Brook, and those along Paul Bunyan north of lots in the 360's, including Peninsula Shores). It is also the most direct access to our part of town for police, fire, and EMS services. But most importantly, for the several times each year when downed power lines or fallen trees block access to large sections of Paul Bunyan, the dirt road is the only way in or out.

In September of 2021, fund-raising efforts for a major overhaul of the dirt road resulted in more than $24,000 in contributions from 80 households, an amazing demonstration of community generosity. While only minimal maintenance was performed in early 2022, the new road has performed better than we could have expected, shedding storm water well and avoiding most of the usual horrors of mud season.

By the fall of 2022, wear and tear from the high-traffic part of the year required re-grading of the road, and this was undertaken again in spring of 2023 after snow plowing cut away most of the road's crown. We re-graded the road in June 2024, with the remainder of the funds in our account. Going forward, it appears it will be necessary to continue these re-gradings in early December and late May to maintain the road's performance. Then periodically, we'll need to replenish local sections of the road with more gravel where heavy rains or heavy snow plowing continue to degrade the surface.

Based on experience with our current contractor, we'll need to raise approximately $6,000 per year to cover the cost of maintenance necessary to keep the road in acceptable driving condition. To establish a place in the contractor's schedule, we need to have money in the checking account by the end of October for a re-grading contract in December. A single contribution each year will avoid the uncertainties in planning and avoid a twice-a-year request.