PORTLAND - The planned full closure of I-295 over Veranda Street in Portland to accommodate the rapid replacement of an aging interstate bridge will happen in the spring. The Maine Department of Transportation is discussing scheduling options with design consultants and construction contractors. The new closure dates will likely be in April.

KITTERY - Crews continue to conduct striping and bridge joint work on the Piscataqua River (I-95) bridge. The contractor is planning to make the following traffic changes to accommodate work on the bridge and its approaches.

Northbound:

AUGUSTA - MaineDOT Commissioner Bruce Van Note issued the following statement in response to the passage of Question 2:

"On behalf of the nearly 1,700 dedicated and hardworking team members at the Maine Department of Transportation, I want to thank Maine voters for approving Question 2 today. We are fortunate that Mainers historically have shown overwhelming support for transportation funding, and this year is no different. We never take that support for granted. Thank you.

KITTERY - Crews continue to conduct striping and bridge joint work on the Piscataqua River (I-95) bridge. The contractor is planning to make the following traffic changes to accommodate work on the bridge and its approaches.

Northbound:

AUGUSTA- The Maine Department of Transportation closed its Region 1 office in Scarborough this morning in response to an employee within the facility testing positive for COVID-19. The office will reopen to the public and employees on Monday morning.

BRUNSWICK/TOPSHAM - To improve compliance with weight restrictions, the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) is prohibiting all commercial vehicles from using the Frank J. Wood Bridge. This new weight restriction follows the department's October 25th posting, which limited the bridge to vehicles that weigh no more than ten tons or 20,000 pounds.

YARMOUTH - The Maine Department of Transportation is replacing two interstate bridges that carry the northbound and southbound sides of I-295 over Route 1 near Exit 17 in Yarmouth. This project also involves extending the Beth Condon Memorial Pathway to the Yarmouth Visitor Center. The southbound interstate bridge will be built on a new alignment.

In response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit's January 4th decision regarding the Frank J. Wood Bridge, the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) is issuing the following statement:

For years, the plaintiffs in this case have been trying to save a 90-year-old bridge that is rapidly approaching the end of its useful life despite recommendations from transportation engineering agencies charged with responsibly maintaining thousands of Maine bridges.

KITTERY - Lane closures on the Piscataqua River (I-95) Bridge in Kittery are scheduled for January 12-14. The lane closures are necessary to facilitate the installation of overhead signage.

BANGOR - The Maine Department of Transportation closed its Region 4 office in Bangor this morning in response to an employee within the facility testing positive for COVID-19. The office is being cleaned today. It will reopen to the public and employees tomorrow.

MaineDOT was informed of the employee's positive test result this morning and notified coworkers. The department is working to identify close contacts of this individual, who is isolating and was last in the office on Tuesday. No members of the public have been identified as close contacts.