HAMPDEN - As part of the ongoing work on the Hampden Bridge Bundle Project, the Maine Department of Transportation will begin shifting I-95 traffic to the new southbound bridges next week.
On Tuesday, May 24th, southbound interstate traffic will be shifted to the newly constructed East Bridge over the Souadabscook Stream. Interstate speed limits will be reduced to 55 MPH throughout the work zone. Drivers should drive carefully, observe signage, and obey speed limits while passing through work zones. The safety of work crews is MaineDOT's top priority.
Traffic will be shifted to the remaining southbound stream bridges next month. MaineDOT expects to move traffic onto the Center Bridge during the week of June 6th and onto the West Bridge during the week of June 27th. Southbound interstate traffic will be shifted to the new Emerson Mill Road Bridge in September.
The Hampden Bridge Bundle Project involves rebuilding eight bridges and rehabilitating a ninth bridge along a four-mile stretch of I-95 in Hampden. The eight bridge replacements are happening on both the northbound and southbound sides of the interstate at four sites between Exits 174 and 180. Three of these bridge pairs cross the Souadabscook Stream and one pair crosses Emerson Mill Road and the Central Maine & Quebec Railway. The one bridge rehabilitation involved with this project is happening at the Exit 180 off-ramp on Cold Brook Road over I-95.
The four bridge replacements on the northbound side I-95 were substantially completed last year. Northbound traffic has been using the four new interstate bridges since then.
The contractor on the Hampden Bridge Bundle Project is Cianbro Corporation. The contract amount is $44.8 million. The estimated completion date of the project is November 30th.