As the school year approaches its mid-year break, Woolwich officials are still trying to figure out how best to keep traffic moving on Nequasset Road. At issue is the 10 to 15-minute traffic bottleneck occurring twice daily in front of the elementary school. Dec. 3, the selectboard reviewed options with Jason Libby, Woolwich Central School principal, and Jason Warlick, chief deputy for Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office.

Warlick acknowledged the road is congested at times but in his opinion not to the degree that an emergency vehicle couldn’t get through. Traffic backs up because motorists are waiting to turn in to the school’s front entrance from both lanes. “If we can mitigate the traffic on one side we can eliminate the problem,” he said. One option he discussed with Libby is to have turning traffic in the lane coming from Middle Road not use the main entrance but turn into the school’s upper parking lot.

“We talked about making low cost, or no cost improvements to improve traffic flow, things like better signage and better communication,” Warlick explained. Libby said it was basically just a matter of getting parents used to a new drop-off and pick-up procedure.

“Just a little bit of patience and cooperation on the part of motorists would go a long way towards alleviating the problem,” continued Warlick, who added the sheriff's department didn't have the resources to monitor the traffic there on a daily basis.

Woolwich Fire Chief Shaun Merrill said he wasn’t overly concerned with getting an emergency vehicle through school traffic. “It’s getting my first responders through to the fire station.” He explained, many fire and ambulance personnel lack emergency lights on their vehicles and find it challenging getting through a line of traffic.

The problem began during the pandemic. Rather than rely on bus transportation, parents began dropping off and picking up their children at the k-8 school. This issue was brought to the selectboard's attention several months ago. First responders complained school traffic delayed them in getting to the fire station, which is on the opposite end of Nequasset Road.  The road serves as a major thoroughfare for commuters since it links Route One with Middle Road (Route 127).

Some of the problem is the lack of shoulders on Nequasset Road. There are also no turning lanes into the school’s parking area. The selectboard agreed to revisit the subject with the principal after school reopens following the Christmas break.

“There was never a traffic problem here when kids rode the bus to school. Now, for whatever reason more parents prefer to drive their kids to and from school,” Chairman David King commented. King added, the selectboard only got involved after concerns about school traffic were raised by motorists and first responders.

“I personally support anything you are willing to try,” Selectman Jason Shaw told Libby, thanking both him and Warlick for their efforts.