Lebanon's mean streets: November potholes plague Northern Seacoast

One of two large, deep potholes on Flat Rock Bridge Road in Lebanon. (Rochester Voice photos)

LEBANON, Maine - Potholes, normally unwanted harbingers of spring, are blooming in the Northern Seacoast this November.

Some of the worst may be in Lebanon where mammoth potholes were spotted over the Thanksgiving weekend on Flat Rock Bridge and Center road and at the intersection of T.M. Wentworth, Gully Oven and New Bridge in West Lebanon.

Selectmen in their Nov. 15 meeting discussed a complaint from a Mercedes owner who wanted some compensation for a pothole in town he said had bent the rims of all four of his tires.

Both the potholes on Flat Rock Bridge Road are at least two inches deep compromising some six square feet of road surface.

Maines' pothole law, however, absolves municipalities of liability in the case of pothole damage unless the town was aware of the dangers of the pothole at least 24 hours prior to the incident.

Flat Rock Bridge Road is actually home to two severe potholes that measure in the feet and are at least two inches deep. The pair of potholes would mostly likely affect vehicles headed east toward River Road in Lebanon from Rochester, N.H.

Even Lebanon Road Commissioner Scott Gerrish remarked on a Flat Rock Bridge pothole at Tuesday's Board of Selectmen's meeting.

"I hit it in the big truck," he said. "Holy moly, I thought that was it."