BANGOR - Penquis and Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP) are receiving $650,462 from the Maine Department of Transportation to improve transportation services across four counties. The funding is provided by the Federal Transit Administration to expand transit options for residents with limited or no transportation options.

ROCKLAND - On Friday afternoon, Maine State Ferry Service crew members aboard the Margaret Chase Smith rescued a kayaker in distress off Islesboro. One of the crew members involved in the rescue will be available to speak with reporters at 1:00 p.m. today at the Rockland Ferry Terminal, which is located at 517A Main Street in Rockland.

SACO - The Maine Department of Transportation will be doing paving work and making other safety and drainage improvements along part of Route 1 in Saco. The project area begins just south of Cascade Road (Route 98) and extends north for approximately one mile to the Scarborough town line. Work is scheduled to begin on September 11th and end on October 20th. This will be day work, happening between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. During this time, traffic will be reduced to a single lane on the northbound side and a single lane on the southbound side.

AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Transportation is convening an advisory stakeholder group to assist the department in identifying and developing strategies to address highway mobility and transportation needs in northern Maine. This group will review past feasibility studies and recommend highway improvements that will improve safety, mobility, and economic opportunity in Aroostook County.

SOUTH PORTLAND - The South Portland park-and-ride lot on the eastbound side of Samantha Smith Way (Highway 703) will be closed this weekend to accommodate paving and striping work. This is the lot that is off Maine Turnpike Exit 45. The closure will run from midnight on Saturday, September 9th through 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 10th. If there is rain this weekend, the work will be moved to the following weekend. The contractor for this work is Coastal Road Repair of Westbrook. The contract amount is $70,000.

WATERFORD - The Maine Department of Transportation is replacing a culvert on route 118 in Waterford. The project location is approximately 1.2 miles west of Hersey Road. Crews are replacing a pipe culvert with a box culvert. This replacement will have a better alignment with the stream and help fix an erosion problem. Construction began on September 5th and is scheduled to be finished on October 15th. Route 118 will be closed between Routes 35 and 37 between September 11th and September 26th. The contractor on this project is R.J. Grondin & Sons or Gorham.

STATEWIDE - The Maine Department of Transportation is working to install 44 new sidewalk ramps and make curb improvements in various communities. The new ramps are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The locations are Berwick, Falmouth, Kennebunk, Limerick, Mechanic Falls, North Yarmouth, and Waterboro. Work began on September 11th and is scheduled to be finished on December 9th. This work will involve sidewalk and lane closures. The contractor on this project is Coastal Road Repair of Westbrook. The contract amount is approximately $556,000.

UPDATE:

These daily closures will be extended through Wednesday, September 27th.

ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE FROM 9/18/23:

MADAWASKA - The Maine Department of Transportation will be closing the International Bridge in Madawaska to all traffic during daytime hours for several days to accommodate construction work associated with the new bridge. The closures are scheduled for September 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 25th. The closure times will be between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

This work was not finished last weekend. The Auburn park-and-ride lot will be closed from midnight to 2:00 p.m. this Saturday, September 30th to finish striping operations. In the case of bad weather, work will be moved to the following Saturday, October 7th.

ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE FROM 9-20-23:

AUGUSTA - On Thursday, October 12th, the Maine Department of Transportation will hold the second of three in-person stakeholder group meetings to assist the department in identifying and developing strategies to address highway mobility and transportation needs in northern Maine. This second meeting will be held at 4:00 p.m. in the Fort Kent Town Office, located at 416 West Main Street. Members of the public are welcome to attend and provide comments.