After nearly three years of planning, a key stream crossing near Parker Pond got a major culvert upgrade last week!
The Tower Road stream crossing, located at the north end of Parker Pond and a half mile northwest of the boat launch, was identified in 2024 by the Town of Vienna and 30 Mile as a safety, economic, and environmental concern.
In recent years, major storms have repeatedly washed out and damaged roads throughout our watershed, leading to expensive repairs and travel disruptions. In May and December 2023, Tower Road was overtopped due to this undersized culvert. From the major washouts that ensued, an estimated 92 tons of sediment and 49 pounds of phosphorus washed into Parker Pond during these two major storm events.
The original 3-ft diameter culvert was replaced with a 10-ft pipe-arch. This new crossing was engineered to withstand 100-year storm events and also meets the Stream Smart requirements for habitat connectivity.
Photo: Land Use Coordinator, Ellie, inside the new culvert.
Why was this done?
Public Safety
- Ensures emergency vehicle access
- Prevents delayed response time
Lake Health
- Reduces erosion into the stream and decreases the threat of algae blooms to Parker Pond
- Keeps the tax burden from shifting away from shoreline property owners and onto others in the town
Cost to repair
- The two 2023 storms alone cost the Town over $270,000 in emergency repairs to crossings
- This and other culvert upgrades will save the town hundreds of thousands of dollars in future fixes
This culvert is the first of four large upgrades planned for Vienna. The town has received a $349,000 grant from FEMA for the Kimball Pond Road crossing, and has two grant proposals under review for the Trask and Jesse Ladd Road crossings (that were also identified as crossings of concern in 2024).
Funding for this project, in part, was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. The funding is administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with EPA. EPA does not endorse any commercial products or services mentioned
Photos (L-R): the 3-ft perched culvert before replacement; the culvert installation process; the new 10-ft pipe arch.
This article was included in 30 Mile’s August 2026 newsletter. To view the full release, click here.