Bangor Studio/Membership Department
63 Texas Ave.
Bangor, ME 04401

Lewiston Studio
1450 Lisbon St.
Lewiston, ME 04240

Portland Studio
323 Marginal Way
Portland, ME 04101

Registered 501(c)(3) EIN: 22-3171529
© 2025 Maine Public
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scroll down to see all available streams.

The planned I-295 closure through Portland has been delayed until next spring

State Transportation Commissioner Bruce Van Note says cost increases, labor shortages, and supply chain problems have disrupted schedules in some of the state's major transportation projects, including the Interstate 295 bridge replacement over Veranda Street in Portland. That project was due to begin later this month, but has been postponed until next spring. Van Note says once the project is underway it will require closing the highway, but it will be completed in just 4 days over a long weekend.

"If you accelerate and minimize impacts its supported by the public more than months long lane closures. More expensive to do it this way but it minimizes impacts to the traveling public," Van Note says.

No new date has been set for the project. Van Note says a drop of nearly 50% in traffic during the pandemic resulted in a 40% decrease in revenue for the department, but the state made up the difference with bonds and reserves from the general fund. Van Note says the DOT is hopeful the federal bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill passes to boost funding for Maine projects and address cost increases.