As previously announced, construction crews working on Tukeys Bridge have erected a concrete barrier that separates Washington Avenue from I-295 Northbound, making Washington Avenue a local road. This concrete barrier completely closes off Exit 8 from northbound I-295 traffic. Motorists should expect delays during the evening commute.

?Because drivers will temporarily not have access to and from Washington Avenue and I-295 North, we?re recommending two official detour routes,? said MaineDOT Bridge Program Manager David Sherlock.

MaineDOT announced today that crews are set to begin construction next week on the replacement of the Village Bridge in Kenduskeag. The Village Bridge carries the Stetson Road over Kenduskeag Stream to the intersection of Route 15 in Kenduskeag.

On Tuesday, June 7, construction crews will close the bridge and detour traffic onto the Mudgett Road and Higginsville Road. Truck traffic will be directed to the Morey Road. If construction proceeds as planned, the new bridge will reopen by mid-November.

Crews are set to begin paving a six-mile section of Route 8 in Belgrade and Smithfield.

Starting Saturday, June 11, crews will start repaving from the intersection of Route 8 and 11 in Belgrade and then continuing north 6.3 miles to the intersection of Route 8 and 137 in Smithfield.

Paving operations are expected to continue from June 11 until July 1. During the paving, there will be lane closures, and traffic will be regulated by flaggers.

Bruce A. Manzer, Inc, of Anson, Maine is the contractor for the $400,000 paving project.

The observatory that sits atop the Penobscot Narrows Bridge will be closed for two days, Tuesday, June 14th and Wednesday, June 15th, in order for MaineDOT crews to perform necessary maintenance on the vented louvers in the tower. The bridge will remain open to traffic while the work is being done.

MaineDOT crews will be increasing the length of the louvers in order to prevent water from entering the tower during rainstorms. Work is expected to be completed within two days, but it could extend into a third day if there are delays.

Portland, ME. More commuters in the Portland vicinity will need to choose alternate routes to work when the on-ramp from Baxter Boulevard onto I-295 northbound closes sometime after 7 p.m. on Monday, June 6.

This is the latest move in MaineDOT?s improvement plan for I-295 northbound on Tukeys Bridge. The plan also includes work on the four overpass bridges that carry I-295 over Washington Avenue, Sherwood Street, the Canadian National Railroad, and Kensington Street.

Ramp C (Route 1 North to Route 196 West) of the Merrymeeting Bay Bridge will be closed to all traffic on Wednesday, June 8th at 5 A.M. in order for the contractor to complete work that was delayed due to the heavy rains earlier in the spring. It is expected that the ramp will reopen by 5 A.M. Thursday, June 9th. Motorists should plan to use Pleasant Street, turning left onto Maine Street/Route 24 during the 24-hour closure.

Crews will be paving portions of I-95 southbound in Augusta on Friday, June 10, and must close the Exit 109B ramp which carries traffic to Route 202 West towards Winthrop.

The Exit 109B ramp will be closed from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday, June 10. Motorists southbound on I-95 in Augusta should utilize Exit 109A or Exit 112 as an alternate route. Variable message boards are in place to alert motorists of the ramp closure.

Portland, ME. This evening, MaineDOT work crews and the contractor will modify the signs and pavement markings that inform and direct motorists as they travel through the work zones recently established on I-295 Southbound as it crosses Tukeys Bridge.

The Route 1 southbound off-ramp at Maine Street in Brunswick will be closed starting Monday, June 13 as construction crews begin work on the off-ramp that will include installing a new left-hand turn lane and traffic signals. The ramp is expected to be closed for two weeks, and motorists should expect delays on Maine Street during the construction.

Crews are set to begin construction on a 3.3-mile section of Route 4 in Auburn starting Sunday night, June 12. In order to minimize traffic disruptions, work will be done at night between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

The construction will include removing the deteriorating pavement through a process called milling, then repaving with a new layer of asphalt. Crews will be working on a stretch from the intersection of Court Street and Minot Avenue, then stretching north to Lake Auburn.