MIDDLETOWN — The winding road to Third Beach is a scenic one, with birds from the nearby wildlife refuge fluttering above and the Atlantic Ocean waiting in the distance.

But the road is also bumpy and pockmarked — perhaps one of the town’s worst roadways. It’s tough for cars and walkers to avoid the divots. Heavy rains flood the road and that standing water exacerbates the pothole problem. Routine maintenance work has only gone so far.

In Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown’s words, simply, “The road has failed.”

Soon after the beach season’s official end on Labor Day, the town will repave the lower section of Third Beach Road, in the area of the Maidford River Bridge to the Third Beach Club.

It’s a long-needed project. The road’s become a safety hazard and its condition raises liability concerns because rescue vehicles could have trouble traveling to the beach.

“Repaving it will be a big help for the public, especially in the winter,” Brown said.

The Town Council has hired JAM Construction, at a cost of $54,000, to complete the work, taking special care not to disturb the surrounding natural habitat.

— Meaghan Wims