As I-295 southbound repair work continues on Tukey?s Bridge in Portland next week, construction crews will close Exit 8 to mainline traffic each night from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Sunday night, May 1. Exit 8 will remain open only for southbound traffic entering from Washington Avenue.
Also starting Sunday night, construction crews will be closing two of the four southbound lanes on Tukey?s Bridge nightly. Each night, one lane will remain open for mainline traffic, and one lane will be open only for southbound traffic entering from Washington Avenue. These two lanes will remain open nightly between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. During the day, three lanes will remain open daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Work crews will be removing pavement on the bridge so the surface will be grooved and motorcyclists should proceed with caution.
When I-295 southbound Exit 8 is closed, traffic will be detoured to Exit 7. Motorists should take Exit 7 and travel south on Franklin Street, turn left onto Cumberland Avenue and continue on to Washington Avenue.
Also on Sunday night, the contractor will remove the center lane closure on the Fore River Bridge on I-295 southbound between Exit 5 and Exit 4. Crews will install a long-term left lane closure while they repair the bridge within that left lane. One lane will remain open nightly between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. and two lanes will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This work schedule is weather dependent. Drivers on I-295 are advised to pay close attention to signage connected with the repair work especially signs indicating reduced speed zones. For more information and to sign up for email alerts, please go to mainedot.gov.
This effort is part of a substantial I-295 repair and improvement project that will be ongoing through the fall of this year. Roadway and bridge repair work has been structured to minimize the impact on motorists while improving the safety and enjoyment of traveling one of Maine?s most popular highways.
MaineDOT appreciates the patience of all motorists during this construction period, and also asks motorists to drive safely through all work zones.