News Release for August 23, 2007

Contact: Charles Guy, 885-7000

MAINEDOT HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS IN BRUNSWICK BEGIN MONDAY

The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) says work will begin Monday, August 27th on highway improvements to Pleasant Street and U.S. Route 1 (Mill Street) in Brunswick.

“We’re going to be working on Pleasant Street between Stanwood Street and Maine Street.  The Route 1, or Mill Street, project extends from Pleasant Street to Maine Street,” explains Charles Guy of MaineDOT’s Region 1 Office, where the work is being coordinated.  “We understand the volumes of traffic using both of those streets and we’re going to be coordinating the work so that both corridors will not be torn up at the same time.”

On Pleasant Street, the project calls for grinding out the old pavement, working on drainage and curbing, putting down new pavement and striping it with the proper roadway markings,” Guy explains.  “On Mill Street, we’ll be doing drainage and curbing work, repairing sidewalks, upgrading roadside guardrails, installing traffic islands to better define traffic flow, and paving and striping.”

“Drivers using Mill Street may recall that we did some preliminary work there last year.  That project was a short-term maintenance paving effort to ensure that the roadway remained passable until we could come back with a more extensive project this summer,” Guy explained.  “Last year’s work was never intended to be a long-term solution.”

“Because of the high traffic volumes on both Mill and Pleasant Streets, the contractor will not be allowed to implement lane closures before 9:00AM and any closures put in place after that must be removed by 3:30PM to accommodate late afternoon and early evening traffic.  We do not anticipate doing any night work on this project,” he noted.  “Drivers should be aware that northbound traffic on Route 1 may be detoured at times.”

Guy said that even with the measures MaineDOT has taken to reduce traffic impacts, the volume of traffic on both streets will produce delays during the project.  “Although every effort will be made to keep traffic moving, drivers who want to avoid construction delays are encouraged to seek alternate routes that will keep them out of our work areas.  The lower the volume of traffic going through the work area, the shorter the delays will be for everyone,” he concluded.

The contract covering the work on both Mill and Pleasant Streets, awarded to Pike Industries of Lewiston, ME on a bid of $797-thousand, calls for completion of the projects by mid-October.