PORTLAND - The Maine Department of Transportation will be closing I-295 over Veranda Street in Portland on the fourth weekend in April to accommodate the replacement of an aging interstate bridge. MaineDOT's "Veranda Plan" involves a full closure of the highway around Exit 9 from 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 22nd to 11:00 a.m. on Monday, April 25th. Additionally, Route 1/Veranda Street (under the bridge) will be closed for a full week: from 2:00 p.m. on Monday, April 18th to 2:00 p.m. on Monday, April 25th.

WOOLWICH - The Maine Department of Transportation is replacing the Station 46 Bridge, which carries Route 1 over the Back River Creek Marsh and Rockland Branch of the Maine Central Railroad in Woolwich. The work area begins at the Taste of Maine Restaurant and extends north past the intersection of Route 1 and George Wright Road. The reconstruction of Route 1 will raise the roadway by approximately five feet to address flooding concerns and sea level rise.

KITTERY - The Maine Department of Transportation plans to complete all construction work on the Piscataqua River (I-95) Bridge in Kittery two months ahead of schedule.

The bridge project contractor, SPS New England, will be conducting final road striping operations in the coming weeks. All physical work on the bridge is expected to be finished by the end of March.

MATTAWAMKEAG - Today, the Maine Department of Transportation is temporarily closing the temporary bridge that carries Route 2 over the Mattawamkeag River. The purpose of the closure is to allow crews to relieve the pressure created by ice that has collected on the upstream side of the structure. This temporary bridge is serving traffic while the department and it's contracting partners work to replace the permanent Mattawamkeag Bridge.

AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) today announced the creation of an Offshore Wind Port Advisory Group (OSWPAG). This group will advise MaineDOT and other state officials regarding the potential development of wind port facilities needed for Maine to realize the environmental and economic benefits of the rapidly developing offshore wind market. Such facilities are integral to advancing the University of Maine's patented floating offshore wind technology and attracting offshore wind industry investment to Maine.

LISBON - The Maine Department of Transportation is performing highway reconstruction work and making other improvements along a one-mile stretch of Route 125 (Main Street) in Lisbon. The construction area begins at the intersection of Routes 125 and 196 and continues northeasterly to Huston Street. In addition to reconstructing the road, this project involves improving drainage, replacing water and sewer lines, and installing new sidewalks. Construction started on March 28th. Most of the work this year will focus on the downtown area.

RICHMOND - The Maine Department of Transportation is accelerating its plans to replace a culvert at the Abagadasset River on Alexander Reed Road in Richmond. Rainfall last week caused the exiting culvert to wash out on Friday. The road is currently impassable and will remain closed until the new culvert is built. The detour is currently posted using Routes 197 and 201. On the average day, about 400 vehicles use this segment of Alexander Reed Road.

WOODSTOCK - The Maine Department of Transportation has resumed work on a highway reconstruction and rehabilitation project on part of Route 26 in Woodstock. The construction area begins east of Rumford Avenue and extends westerly for approximately 2.5 miles. In addition to roadway improvements, this project also involves the installation of new drainage and safety improvements. Drivers may encounter an alternating, single-lane traffic pattern during construction. The contractor on this project is Gordon Contracting of Sangerville. The contract amount is $9,940,746.

MATTAWAMKEAG - The Maine Department of Transportation and its contracting partners will begin setting beams for the new Mattawamkeag Bridge in Mattawamkeag on Monday, April 11th. Beam-setting work is expected to continue through Tuesday, April 26th. The contractor plans to set two beams per day. There is a temporary bridge in place, but that bridge will be closed to traffic for approximately 15 minutes each time a beam is set.

HAMPDEN - Today, the Maine Department of Transportation closed the Twin Bridge in Hampden as part of the department's ongoing project to replace the 71-year-old structure. The Twin Bridge carries Route 69 over the West Branch of Souadabscook Stream. Traffic is being diverted to a temporary detour bridge. Drivers should expect an alternating pattern of single-lane traffic controlled by temporary signals on the detour route. Oversized loads are not permitted on the temporary bridge.