A major highway link between downtown Portland and its northern suburbs will be closed this weekend. It will let the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) demolish an aging bridge carrying Interstate 295 over Veranda Street and slide a pre-built new span into place.
The entire operation is to happen in a 64 hour period beginning Friday evening, April 22 and end in the late morning on Monday, April 25.
The current span is more than 60 years old and has reached the end of its useful life. Rather than re-build the span in phases over a long period of time, MDOT spokesman Paul Merrill says the state decided on the "rip the band-aid off" method of closing the busy stretch of highway for the demolition and replacement. The new bridge was constructed last year on land next to the old bridge. Plans to finish the job last October had to be postponed when the state couldn't get some needed supplies.
Now, everything is nearly in place. Monday, Veranda Street at the project was closed to allow for final preparations. After the Friday evening commute, the highway will be closed and the work begun. Merrill says for people who live near the project site, it's likely to be a noisy two days and nights as work proceeds around the clock.
The new bridge will be slightly wider than the old, with room for shoulder lanes the existing span doesn't have.
Motorists who need to head north from the Portland peninsula this weekend will be forced off the highway at Exit 9 and proceed along U.S. Route 1 to Bucknam Road, where they'll be able to re-enter the highway. Southbound traffic will face a more difficult detour, exiting at Bucknam Road, then directed to Middle Road, a residential street, to Presumpscot Street and then Washington Avenue back to the Interstate.
Officials are hoping some of southbound traffic will opt to use the Maine Turnpike to get into Portland, especially if drivers are bound for points south of the city.
More information is available from the project's website, where people will also be able to watch the work proceed on a web cam aimed at the project site.
