The Maine DOT plans to install a traffic light at an intersection in Oxford with a high crash rate. However, members of the Oxford Board of Selectmen question the plan.

Why Is The Intersection Dangerous?

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The Route 26 and Oxford Street intersection is where the Maine DOT has its sights on. In recent years drivers have found that the 2.7-mile-long street that connects Oxford with South Paris near Market Square is an ideal shortcut. Taking this route from South Paris makes it easier to avoid the traffic and four traffic lights on Route 26. The heavier the traffic the more prone the intersection can be to accidents.

Maine DOT Crash Data

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According to crash data from the Maine DOT, there were 9 crashes at the intersection in 2024, with 3 injuries, 12 crashes in 2023, with 4 injuries, and 14 crashes in 2022, with 5 injuries. Although the number of crashes has been decreasing over the past few years, they still happen.

READ MORE: These 2 Locations Have Held the Top 2 Spots for Most Crashes in Maine for 20+ Years

Board of Selectmen Opposition

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According to the Sun Journal, Oxford Selectmen had questions and some were flat-out opposed to the idea of a traffic light. Vice-Chairman Dana Dillingham brought up the point that Oxford Street is a town road saying, "Does the town of Paris not have the ability to post that it is not a through-way? That’s where a lot of the traffic is coming from. GPS is leading from Sunday River."

Others were in favor of doing something. Jennifer St. Piere commented on Facebook, "Something has to change at that intersection...folks coming from Walmart drive far too fast... folks coming out of that road, don't have a chance to get out and have to cut people off to do so. I don't know why the residents of Oxford would even care... perhaps it would slow people down just a tad."

As for now, the plan is still in place to install traffic lights at the intersection in 2026, with the project taking about two months to complete.

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