AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Transportation has selected Maine Switching Services (MSS) of Unity to take over operations and maintenance of the Rockland Branch Railroad.

MSS is a privately owned, railroad services company that provides rail car repair in Unity and industrial rail car switching for paper mills in Rumford and Skowhegan. The company already operates on the state-owned Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad in cooperation with the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railway.

AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Transportation will be shifting Western Avenue (Route 202) traffic in Augusta to a temporary bridge over I-95 later this month. Through traffic will be narrowed to two lanes: one eastbound lane and one westbound lane, with a third lane on the bridge specific to the westbound off ramp traffic. This traffic shift is necessary while crews demolish the existing structure and continue construction of a new bridge to carry Western Avenue over the interstate at Exit 109.

PITTSFIELD - The Maine Department of Transportation will be closing the southbound side of I-95 near Mile Marker 152 in Pittsfield from 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 6th until 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7th. This closure is necessary while crews repair pavement on the median crossover. This is part of the ongoing project to replace interstate bridge decks on the bridges that carry the interstate over the Sebasticook River and Route 152. The contractor on this project is Northeast Paving of Bangor. The construction contract amount is approximately $3.7 million.

WATERVILLE/WINSLOW - Next Monday, January 6th, the Maine Department of Transportation will be closing the Ticonic Bridge to all traffic for approximately six months as part of the ongoing work to replace the bridge, which carries Route 201 over the Kennebec River between Waterville and Winslow. Both vehicles and pedestrians will be required to follow the posted detour routes. Vehicles will be detoured south to the Carter Memorial Bridge. Pedestrians will be detoured north to the Two Cent Bridge.

AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Transportation and its contracting partners will be fully closing the northbound side of I-95 in Augusta during several overnight periods this week and next. These closures are required as crews work to install the detour bridge for the project to replace the bridge that carries Western Avenue (Route 202) over the intestate.

WATERVILLE/WINSLOW - On January 6th, 2025, the Maine Department of Transportation will be closing the Ticonic Bridge to all traffic for approximately six months as part of the ongoing work to replace the bridge, which carries Route 201 over the Kennebec River between Waterville and Windslow. Both vehicles and pedestrians will be required to follow the posted detour routes. Vehicles will be detoured south to the Carter Memorial Bridge. Pedestrians will be detoured north to the Two Cent Bridge.

SAGADAHOC AND KENNEBEC COUNTIES - The Maine Department of Transportation is making improvements on both the northbound and southbound sides of I-295 between Topsham and Gardiner. This work involves paving work as well as work on the bridges over Routes 125/138 at Exit 37 in Bowdoinham and the Cobbosseecontee Bridges between Gardiner and West Gardiner.

ALBION - The Maine Department of Transportation is replacing the Puddle Dock Bridge in Albion. The bridge carries traffic over Fifteenmile Stream on South Freedom Road. The current structure was installed in 1933 and is past its useful life. The new bridge will be 104-feet-long and have 11-foot-wide travel lanes with three-foot-wide shoulders. Work began this month and is anticipated to be completed in November. The road will be closed until all work has been completed. Signs direct drivers to a detour route. The contractor on this project is CPM Constructors of Freeport.

NAPLES - Due to high water levels and trees blocking the Songo River, the Maine Department of Transportation will not be able to open the Songo Lock Draw Bridge in Naples until Saturday, May 11th. MaineDOT typically begins operating the draw bridge on May 1st to allow the passage of marine traffic under State Park Road. The department is communicating with other state agencies as we all work toward the new date when the seasonal bridge operation can begin.

COPLIN PLANTATION - The Maine Department of Transportation will be temporarily closing the Nash Bridge on Route 16 in Coplin Plantation on Saturday, April 27th. This full closure is scheduled to run from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. This closure is required to allow repair work on the bridge approach slabs, which were damaged in the December 18th storm. The vehicle detour involves using Routes 27, 142, and 4. The contractor on this project is Jordan Excavation of Kingfield. The contract amount is $350,000.