The Environmental Office plays a lead role in proactively integrating transportation, environmental and innovation objectives with the department's plans, operations and maintenance activities. The Environmental Office consist of:

NEPA, Permits and Coordination

Coordinates with Project Development and Maintenance to process environmental reviews, the National Environmental Policy Act, and Federal and State permit approvals.

Historic, Cultural and Parkland

Historic and cultural reviews in accordance with Section 106, Section 4(f), and Section 6(f).

Each spring, MaineDOT evaluates potential damage to state and state-aid highways and determines whether weight restrictions should be imposed to prevent damage due to freeze/thaw action. Many municipalities undertake similar evaluations and restrictions on local road systems.

Below are links to three useful maps. The Cumulative Thawing Index from the Northeast Regional Climate Center tracks freeze/thaw data throughout the posted roads season. The yellow and maroon bands indicate areas where the ground is beginning to thaw, and where roads may become vulnerable.

• Full Document (PDF, 18MB)

All traffic-related controls on all Maine roads open to the public must follow the national "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices" (MUTCD). This manual provides guidance for traffic signs, pavement markings, work zones, school areas, and much more.

MUTCD

• The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) serves as the national, state, and local standard for traffic control during all operations on public streets and highways in the United States.  These minimum standards apply to all public roads regardless of type, class, or agency having jurisdiction over them.  It's important that the driving public sees and reacts to similar traffic control devices whether there is a local or state road crew, a utility truck, a contractor's crew, or emergency vehicles, etc

The Maine Local Roads Center provides training, technical assistance, and information to those municipal and county personnel who are responsible for constructing, maintaining, and managing local roads and bridges in Maine. Administered by the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Local Roads Center is one of over 50 “technology transfer” centers established by the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) of the Federal Highway Administration.