The 12-space roadside parking lot at Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead shown Sept. 24 near the intersection of Middle Street and Litchfield Road in Hallowell. Construction has begun on a new 16-space gravel parking lot in the field behind the stone wall. It will have a defined entrance and exits so visitors don’t need to back into traffic. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

HALLOWELL — The Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead’s Corniche Trailhead is closed temporarily as a 16-space gravel parking lot is under construction near intersection of Middle Street and Litchfield Road.

An excavator operator from C.H. Stevenson Inc. prepares the site of the new 16-space gravel parking lot Tuesday at Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead’s Corniche Trailhead near the intersection of Middle Street and Litchfield Road in Hallowell. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

The project, under contract by C.H. Stevenson Inc., is expected to take a few weeks. The  trailhead at Hall-Dale High/Middle School in Farmingdale remains open.

The primary goals of the project are to improve safety to both pedestrians and motorists, reduce the impact of overflow parking on trailhead neighbors, and address stormwater management and parking capacity issues, according to a news release from Kate Tremblay, executive director of Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead.

The Vaughan Woods trail system features stone bridges and waterfalls. According to the news release, 40,000-plus visits to Vaughan Woods are made each year, often overflowing the primary trailhead’s small parking lot into the surrounding residential neighborhood. While the current roadside lot has the capacity to hold 12 vehicles, disorderly parking in the undefined spaces results, on average, in an eight-vehicle capacity, causing visitors to park illegally along the road.

Located on the corner of an awkward intersection, the lot already poses safety hazards, which are only exacerbated by overflow roadside parking. Furthermore, erosion, caused by heavy rains and inadequate drainage along the road, has resulted in a significant ditch between the parking lot and road, making the lot difficult to access. This perennial issue is addressed using gravel and sandbags, but sorely needs a more permanent fix.

This project is funded through grants from the Elsie & William Viles Foundation and the Recreational Trails Program through the Maine Department of Agriculture & Forestry and the Bureau of Public Parks & Lands.

An excavator operator from C.H. Stevenson Inc. prepares the site of a new 16-space gravel parking lot Tuesday at Vaughan Woods & Historic Homestead’s Corniche Trailhead near intersection of Middle Street and Litchfield Road in Hallowell. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal