AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) is assisting the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention with its investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak associated with MaineDOT's bridge operations in Southport and South Bristol.

Maine CDC defines an outbreak as three or more cases with epidemiological links. This outbreak investigation includes six confirmed cases in MaineDOT employees and one confirmed case in a contractor.

KITTERY - The Maine Department of Transportation and its contracting partners will be closing the left travel lanes on both sides of the Piscataqua River (I-95) Bridge on Sunday, February 28th. Crews will close the left lane on the northbound side at 7:00 p.m. and the left lane on the southbound side at 10:00 p.m. These closures are happening to accommodate work on bridge joints. We expect both left travel lanes will remain closed until the bridge joint work is finished in May.

YORK COUNTY - The Maine Department of Transportation has posted a weight restriction on the West Buxton Bridge, which spans the Saco River between Route 112 in Buxton and Route 35 in Hollis. The new weight limit is 30 tons. At this weight limit, cars, pickup trucks, school buses, and most emergency vehicles will still be able to cross the bridge. All vehicles in excess of 30 tons should use an alternate route involving Routes 22, 35, and 112.

PORTLAND - The Maine Department of Transportation is beginning construction work on the replacement of the Veranda Street Bridge in Portland. The bridge carries I-295 over Veranda Street. The structure is 60 years old and needs to be replaced. This project also involves a reconfiguration of the roadways beneath the bridge to improve mobility and safety.

Crews will begin mobilizing equipment and doing utility work during the week of March 8th. There will be minimal traffic impacts on Veranda Street and no traffic impacts on the interstate at this time.

The Maine Department of Transportation is sharing this major traffic alert from the City of Portland.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 5, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Jessica Grondin - 207-272-7885

**MAJOR TRAFFIC ALERT**

YARMOUTH - Beginning next week, the Maine Department of Transportation will be impacting traffic on the Bayview Street Bridge in Yarmouth. This bridge carries Bayview Street over I-295. MaineDOT is beginning work on a project to replace the deck of the bridge, add a sidewalk on the south side of the bridge, and increase the height of the bridge rail on both sides of the bridge. The contractor on this project is CPM Constructors of Freeport, and the contract amount is $1,687,258.

AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Transportation will be assisting the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority with a virtual public meeting to discuss the ongoing "Maine Ahead" project on the Piscataqua River (I-95) Bridge. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss capacity improvements to the interstate during peak travel times by allowing travel on the low-speed shoulder as needed.

PORTLAND - The Maine Department of Transportation will be rehabilitating the southbound I-295 exit ramp at Washington Ave. (Exit 8) in Portland. The off-ramp wearing surface needs to be replaced. Work is scheduled to begin on March 29th. The exit ramp lane will be narrowed to a single lane from March 29th through mid-June. The project is expected to be fully completed by November 5th. This work is not expected to impact traffic on I-295 or Washington Ave. As a reminder, drivers should use extreme caution while passing work crews.

CAMDEN - The ongoing Maine Department of Transportation project in the Town of Camden will begin impacting downtown traffic again during the week of April 12th. This work involves making sidewalk and draining improvements on Elm Street (Route 1). The project area begins at Union Street and extends north approximately one-quarter of a mile, just past Bay View Street. The upcoming work will also impact Commercial Street.

AUGUSTA- The Maine Department of Transportation closed the Maine State Ferry Service Rockland Ferry Terminal Wednesday morning in response to an employee testing positive for COVID-19. During the building closure, members of the traveling public can still board ferries in Rockland. They will be able to pay their fares upon arrival at the island terminals.