PRESQUE ISLE - The Maine Department of Transportation will open part of the new Presque Isle Bypass to traffic on Thursday morning. The 1.7-mile stretch of road connects Conant Road to Fort Fairfield Road. This connection will help commercial vehicles avoid traveling through downtown Presque Isle.

KINGFIELD - The Maine Department of Transportation will begin work to replace the surface of the historic Centennial Bridge in Kingfield on June 24th. The Centennial Bridge carries Route 16 over the Carrabassett River. During construction, smaller vehicles will encounter a single-lane, alternating traffic pattern on the bridge. Larger vehicles (trucks, buses, and recreational vehicles) will need to follow a significant detour along Routes 27 and 234. Signage will alert drivers to the route. The bridge sidewalk will remain open throughout the work.

INDUSTRY - The Maine Department of Transportation is replacing the Sawyer Bridge in Industry. Sawyer Bridge carries Shaw Hill Road over the Falls Brook. Workers will remove the existing bridge structure and install a new, precast concrete structure. Traffic will be detoured between June 24th and August 31st. The length of the detour is approximately six miles. CPM Constructors of Freeport is the contractor on this work, which is scheduled to be finished by October 18th.

BAR HARBOR - On June 21st, the Maine Department of Transportation plans to end the one-way detour that has been part of the traffic management plan for the reconstruction of Route 3 in Bar Harbor. As long as the weather cooperates, the normal two-way flow of traffic will resume by the end of the work day on Friday. The one-way detour loop has been in effect during most of the active months of the project. This approach was chosen to minimize the congestion that can occur when two-way traffic is impacted by lane closures.

YORK COUNTY - The Maine Department of Transportation is making improvements to Routes 9 and 109 in North Berwick and Wells. Paving work will be happening from the intersection of Route 9 and Portland Street in North Berwick to the intersection of Routes 9 and 109 in Wells. A second work area in Wells will begin a half-mile east of the intersection of Routes 9 and 109 and continue east to the intersection of Route 109 and Chapel Road. In addition to paving work, crews will also be working to improve signage, curbing, and drainage. Drivers should expect some lane closures and shifts.

EMBDEN - The Maine Department of Transportation is replacing Hancock Bridge, which carries Embden Pond Road over Hancock Brook in Embden. Work began this week, but construction that will impact traffic will be happening later this summer. Drivers should expect an alternating one-way traffic pattern from August 5th to September 24th. Also, a temporary bypass road will be constructed downstream from the existing bridge to keep traffic moving during the bridge construction. We expect all project work to be finished by October 19th.

TOPSFIELD - The Maine Department of Transportation is replacing two bridges in the Town of Topsfield in Washington County. The Farrow Lake Stream Bridge carries Route 6 over Deadman Stream, and the Flood Brook Bridge carries Route 6 over Flood Brook. Drivers should expect a one-lane alternating traffic pattern during the replacement of the Farrow Lake Stream Bridge. The culvert lining work on the Flood Brook Bridge will create minor traffic delays. This project is expected to be finished by mid-November. The contractor on this work is Soderberg Construction out of Caribou.

SOMERSET COUNTY - The Maine Department of Transportation will begin working to replace the Corson Corner Bridge on July 8th. The bridge carries Routes 43 and 151 over Black Stream, connecting the Towns of Athens and Hartland in Somerset County. During construction, drivers should expect an alternating one-way traffic pattern. S.E. MacMillan Co., Inc. of Bangor is the contractor on this project, which is expected to be finished by the beginning of October.

SKOWHEGAN - The Maine Department of Transportation will begin working on the North and South Margaret Chase Smith Bridges in Skowhegan on July 7th. The bridges carry Routes 2 and 201 over the Kennebec River. The construction area will run from the intersection of Madison Avenue and Water Street south along Island Avenue to the intersection of West Front Street and Waterville Road. Crews will be replacing bridge wearing surfaces and joints. They will also be doing work on the sidewalks and barriers as well as repaving the entire roadway. All work will be done at night (9:00 p.m.

SUMNER - The Maine Department of Transportation will begin working to replace the Heald Bridge in Sumner on July 8th. The Heald Bridge carries Redding Road over the West Branch of the Nezinscot River. The bridge will close on July 15th. Redding Road will be closed to traffic at the bridge for no longer than 75 days. There will be a detour of several miles. The contractor on this work is Wyman & Simpson, Inc. out of Richmond. We expect the bridge replacement to be finished in November.