UPDATE: Project to replace culvert at Mill Creek on track

Crews worked over the weekend to get ‘back on track’ after initial delay

Crews are expected to have the entire bottom section of the culvert in place by April 29. Photo courtesy of the Town of Penobscot.

April 28, 2026

By Emily Baer

PENOBSCOT–With the road closure in Penobscot in full effect, work to replace the culvert at Mill Creek and rebuild a stretch of Bayview Road (Route 175) is progressing on schedule. Town officials said that construction crews from Sargent Corporation have made steady progress over the past week despite minor delays earlier in the process.

Harold Hatch, chair of the Penobscot select board, said the first sections of the culvert’s lower structure have been installed successfully. Crews are expected to have the entire bottom section in place by April 29, marking an important milestone in the construction timeline.

Hatch said the crew had encountered a slight delay last week but that they worked through the weekend to get back on track. The project is now back on schedule, if not slightly ahead, he said.

Days of rain that are forecasted in the coming week are not expected to significantly impact progress, though wet weather may make conditions more challenging for workers handling materials on site, Hatch said.

The Town of Penobscot has been sharing daily updates on its Facebook page, hoping to mitigate the spread of misinformation online. Hatch said town officials were aware of community concern that surfaced on social media regarding the project’s potential impact on the fishway at the site. The culvert is the outlet to Pierce’s Pond, where migrating alewives are expected to spawn in May.

Town officials shared aerial photos of the work site on April 24 to help explain how the water flow has been redirected. “The permits for these projects, which came from the Department of Environmental Protection, do not allow for full-stream shut off,” Hatch said.

“The eagles have arrived and we know the alewives are out in the bay. If they decide to come up this way, we’re ready for it,” he said.

In a Facebook post, town officials said the area highlighted in red (above) shows the active water flow. The checkmark indicates a temporary footbridge, but water flow is unaffected. “All permits strictly prohibit flow stoppage to ensure uninterrupted fish passage at all times,” officials said. Photo courtesy of the Town of Penobscot.

Hatch said that town officials received the final permit for the construction of a gravel parking lot this week. The parking area will be where the town’s sand pile was previously located.

“We didn’t have that permit [from the DEP] until last week,” he said. “It allows us to build a 65’ by 143’ gravel parking lot adjacent to the stream at Mill Creek.

With that permit secured and work on the culvert progressing at pace, Hatch said officials expect the project will be completed on time.

“This has been four years in the making. We had to get this thing started and I think the progress so far is great,” Hatch said. “I’m really happy with how things are going.”

The town will continue to share photo updates of the project on its Facebook page.

To read more about the project, including school bus routes, the detour plan, and emergency services, please see The Rising Tide’s previous coverage.