KITTERY - The Maine Department of Transportation will be closing the I-95 northbound Exit 7 on-ramp in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for five days next week to accommodate continued paving operations on the Piscataqua River (I-95) Bridge and its approaches. The Exit 7 on-ramp will close at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 26th and reopen by 7:00 a.m. on Friday, October 1st. There will be a signed detour route and a police presence. This ramp closure is necessary to increase safety for our crews and members of the traveling public.
This part of the "Maine Ahead" project remains approximately six weeks ahead of schedule. Final paving had originally been scheduled for early 2022. The contractor, SPS New England, is also planning to make the following closures to accommodate final paving work on the bridge and its approaches.
The northbound right lane will close during the following periods:
- 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 26th to 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 29th
- 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 29th to 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 30th
- 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 30th to 7:00 a.m. on Friday, October 1st
- 11:00 p.m. on Monday, September 27th to 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 28th
- 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 28th to 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 29th
- 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 26th to 5:00 a.m. on Monday, September 27th
- 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 27th to 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 28th
- 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 28th to 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 29th
- 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 29th to 5:00 a.m. on Friday, October 1st
- 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 1st to 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 2nd
- 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 27th to 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 28th
- 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 28th to 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 29th
- 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 30th to 4:00 a.m. on Friday, October 1st
As with all outdoor construction work, this schedule is heavily dependent on the weather.
The goal of this project is to improve safety and mobility on Maine's most important bridge and preserve the structure for another 50 years of use. This work is also preparing the bridge for an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project, which will allow part-time shoulder use during peak travel times.
This project started in May 2019 and is expected to be finished by May 2022.
The "Maine Ahead: Building a Better Gateway" project is a collaboration involving the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Turnpike Authority, and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. The goal of the project is to revitalize and rehabilitate the travel corridor that welcomes millions of commuters, travelers, and freight drivers to Maine every year. The initiative focuses on two major construction projects on the I-95 corridor: the Piscataqua River Bridge and the York Toll Plaza. The toll plaza work involves making safety improvements and creating the ability to allow highway-speed tolling. The bridge work will extend the life of the bridge, add needed safety improvements, and prepare the structure for breakdown-lane travel during peak travel periods.
In 2018, 37 million tourists visited Maine - a 33-percent increase from 2012 tourism numbers. During normal times, 78,000 vehicles cross the Piscataqua River Bridge every day, and in the summer, that daily traffic number can climb to 130,000 vehicles. More than 15 million transactions occur at the York Toll Plaza each year. In 2019, on Labor Day weekend alone, nearly 250,000 transactions occurred at the York Toll Plaza, with 187,000 being captured electronically.
For the latest information, visit www.buildingabettergateway.com, and follow @MaineAheadNews on Facebook and Twitter.