The roads in Marion are getting more damaged by the day says Recreation Director Jody Dickerson, and this is especially the case for Washburn Park Road.

Located off of Front Street and Route 105, Washburn Park Road he said is a “disaster,” with holes causing continual damage to passing vehicles.

“This has been a meaningless headache for the Department of Public Works and for the Recreation Department so we are trying to correct the matter before the spring,” Dickerson said.

In order to do this, he said, the Recreation Department has been working with the Department of Public Works on a plan to use road planings to fill in the holes.

Planings, he said, are a shaved-off by-product from road resurfacing which are stockpiled at the Department of Public Works. With asphalt road planning, Dickerson said, the town can use the excess asphalt road shavings to fill Washburn Park Road. The stockpiled planings are from previous road resurfacing projects throughout the town.

Although Dickerson said this road does not receive a lot of heavy road traffic, the cars that do use Washburn Park Road will strengthen the planings just by driving on it and help pack the planings down. This hopefully, he said, will be a long-term solution to the problem and help reduce the amount of damages done to vehicles that pass on the road.

“If we do this hopefully it will cut down on the maintenance,” Dickerson said. “I’ve seen it work in other communities and it’s held-up quite well.”

The cost of the project, he said, will be minimal.

“The town owns the road so the only cost will be for the Department of Public Works to transport the materials to Washburn Park Road, and the cost for the labor and the manpower,” Dickerson said.

During the Dec. 20 Board of Selectmen meeting, Selectman Roger Blanchette agreed with Dickerson’s assessment of the roads.

“The roads are bad and getting worse,” Blanchette said.

In addition to the proposal for Washburn Park Road, Blanchette suggested that the Recreation Department and the Department of Public Works look into a town-wide road repair program.

Selectmen Chairman John Henry agreed with this suggestion.

“The most common complaint I get is on the poor conditions of the roads and sidewalks,” Henry said.

For now, Dickerson said, he will wait until after the holidays to discuss the issue with town officials and the Department of Public Works.