ABANDONED OR DISCONTINUED ROADS CAUSE MAINTENANCE & ACCESS ISSUES
Is an abandoned or discontinued road causing access or maintenance problems? Not sure if it’s discontinued? Seeking remedies? Then this is the place for you.
WELCOME TO MAINE ROADWAYS! We are here as a gathering place and information resource for Maine residents and landowners who must deal with roads that are discontinued, abandoned, and/or have been designated "public easements." These roads often are used freely by the public, but are kept in repair at the expense of the owners of abutting land, who often have little recourse when public use destroys their access.
Researching a road? There are many resources you can use to determine the actual legal status of a road. For suggestions as to how to go about it, go to our Research page.
Looking for the applicable Maine law? Maine laws related to discontinued and abandoned roads are scattered through several Titles. You'll find most of the relevant ones here. For an index of road laws, go to our Statutes page. From there you can probably find whichever law you're looking for. For explanations of how those laws apply, go to the pages on Discontinued Rd, Abandoned Rd, or Public Easements.
Looking for remedies for road problems? Try the Solutions page. Scroll down for a variety of possible solutions, depending on what specific problem you are having.
Need tips on road maintenance? You'll find them on the Maintenance Tips page.
Want to see what other discontinued roads look like? You'll find plenty of examples on the Photos page.
Need some comic relief? Check our Contests page. Might as well have a bit of fun while we're at it! To see other people's entries go to the Contest Entries page.
DISCLAIMER: We are not lawyers, and cannot give legal advice or interpret law, but we have decades of experience and can tell you where to find relevant laws, help you understand possible remedies, show you how to research the legal status of a road, and generally commiserate! Our hope is that by banding together we can get legislation passed which will put an end to the injustices caused by these roads.
For updates, photos, and more, check out our facebook page, Maine ROADWays.
Maine ROADWays' Motto is, "Build a better public easement and the world will BEAT the pathway to your door!"
