News Release for August 24, 2007

Contact: Randall Barrows, 592-2800

NIGHT WORK BEGINS SUNDAY NIGHT ON US ROUTE 1

IN WOOLWICH-WISCASSET

Work on improvements to nearly four miles of US Route 1 in Woolwich and Wiscasset will begin this Sunday night, according to the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT).

”The project area begins a short distance west of the Woolwich-Wiscasset town line at the intersection of US Route 1 and Mountain Road.  It extends east toward Wiscasset for 3.9 miles, ending at the intersection of Route 1 and Bradford Street in Wiscasset,” explains Randall Barrows, MaineDOT’s construction manager on the project.

“Because of the traffic volumes on Route 1, we’re going to be doing most of the work at night,” Barrows explains.  “Drivers can expect to encounter work crews and equipment between 7:00PM and 6:30AM Sunday night through Saturday morning for the next several weeks.  Drivers can expect to encounter alternating one-way traffic in the project area during those hours.  It’s possible that some work will be done during daylight hours, but only if we can maintain two-way traffic and do the work at the same time.  There will be no work September 1st through 3rd due to the holiday weekend.”

Barrows says plans call for removing an inch and one-half of the existing pavement, which is separating from the roadway beneath the travel lanes, putting down an inch and one-half of new pavement, and repairing roadside guard rail.  The contract also calls for cutting safety rumble strips into the roadway edge lines and centerline in areas where there are no turning lanes.

“Because we’ll be working at night, we strongly urge drivers to use extra care and caution traveling through the work area,” Barrows notes.  “The fact that we’re working in darkness instead of daylight reduces the margin of safety for drivers and our workers.  By slowing down more than usual and being extra cautious, drivers can help us get them safely through the work zone.”

The contract for the project, awarded to The Lane Construction Corporation of Meriden, CT and Bangor, ME on a bid of just over $878-thousand, calls for completion of the project by mid-October.

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