letter to the editor

A very dangerous hazard

Tue, 08/22/2017 - 8:45am

Dear Editor:

Last night, Aug. 15 at 5:30 p.m., I was driving back to Boothbay Harbor along Eddy Road. As I neared the cove, a very large tractor trailer truck came speeding around the corner, in the center of both lanes and nearly hit me head on, and almost ran me off of the road. He was speeding through Eddy Road to avoid the back-up at at 27 and Route 1. It is only by pure luck and defensive driving that I avoided a disastrous collision with the truck. My mother and her friend, who were in the car with me, were very shaken, as was I. Eddy Road is too narrow to be used by large trucks. Two cars barely fit on some of the narrow curves of that road, near the cove.

There are no signs posted prohibiting large trucks or warning motorists of dangerous curves or even a speed limit! Many people use this road to travel back to Boothbay Harbor and Edgecomb. I believe it is becoming a very dangerous hazard, especially if large trucks are using it to cut traffic on Route 1.

What can be done about this? Can we limit the size of trucks allowed on that road, and post speed limit and warning signs?

I contacted the police department when I returned home and they agreed that the road is a hazard but all that they could do was to increase the police monitoring of the area. Surely, others have experienced dangerous driving on Eddy Road.

I am going to contact Senator Dow and Jamie Andrews at the Department of Transportation, as well as Chief Hasch about this issue. Something needs to be done to limit large trucks from using this road — to speed to Route 1 — before someone is seriously injured or killed.

Maggie Connelly
West Boothbay Harbor