TRENTON, Maine — People who have been trying to keep track of the number of major traffic delays that have affected motorists driving on and off Mount Desert Island in the past year can be forgiven if they’ve lost count.
On Thursday, it happened again as cars and trucks faced delays from a major road reconstruction project on Route 3 in Trenton. According to a dispatcher with the Bar Harbor Police Department, local police received nearly three dozen calls Thursday morning and early afternoon from angry motorists who reported waiting in line for more than two hours to get off MDI.
“I’ve had at least 35 calls today,” dispatcher Sharon Worcester said midafternoon. “They’re pretty upset when they call.”
Bob Potts, spokesman for Bangor Hydro-Electric Co., said Thursday that the power distribution firm has been doing work along the affected portion of road, installing aviation lights on power poles near where Route 3 passes Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport.
He said that company trucks have not been in the roadway, contrary to anecdotal reports about what is causing the delay. He said Bangor Hydro is sensitive to the safety of its workers and of passing motorists and to the need for people to get where they are going in a timely fashion.
He said that there are many contractors working along the affected section of road, each with its own flagging crew that determines when traffic stops and starts.
“It’s a challenge, I am sure,” Potts said.
Andrew Sankey, emergency management director for Hancock County, said his agency has not been contacted about Thursday’s reported delays, though it has gotten involved in prior incidents along Route 3 that have caused delays on and off MDI. He said area emergency dispatchers try to keep people informed through public media — specifically through the Ellsworth Police Department’s Facebook page — about situations that might create traffic jams or public hazards.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the Maine Department of Transportation indicated that the department and four utility companies have been working on the project. DOT contractor crews switched on Tuesday to a daytime work schedule but, given the logjam, the department has reversed its decision.
“We expected lower traffic volumes due to fewer tourists but we are seeing traffic backups that are more significant than expected,” Brad Foley, DOT Highway program manager, said in the release. “We regret the inconvenience the project has caused and ask for the public’s patience. We are reconstructing this heavily traveled route so we have to be in the roadway — there’s no way around it.”
DOT officials added that there will be work crews along the affected section of road during the day on Friday, Oct. 12, but that both lanes of traffic will be open. As of Monday, all work will revert to a night schedule, likely for the next several weeks. After that, day work could resume if the traffic volume drops off to a manageable level.
“We will be watching week by week,” DOT spokeswoman Meg Lane said.
DOT is trying to complete the $2.3 million project before the 2013 summer tourist season.
The project includes reconstruction of a short section of Route 230 and about half a mile of Route 3 near the intersection of the two roads. The intersection is being rebuilt to include a new traffic signal and turning lanes to improve safety and traffic flow, according to the department.
There have been several traffic delays in the past 12 months on Route 3 between where it intersects Route 230 in Trenton and routes 102 and 198 at the head of the island. This section of road is the only road that connects MDI to the mainland.
Last month, it was the failure of a culvert under Route 3 during a rainstorm that resulted in traffic on and off MDI slowing to a crawl.
In June, an accident involving an Islander Explorer bus resulted in the highway being shut down for six hours as firefighters waited for leaking propane on the bus to dissipate before moving the vehicle out of the roadway.
Last November, a house fire on Route 3 in Trenton resulted in the road being shut down while firefighters tried to put out the flames.
Follow BDN reporter Bill Trotter on Twitter at @billtrotter.
Everyone should remember from 7th grade Social studies the definition of an Island. None of us should confuse an Island with a Peninsula.
Next time through Trenton try not to blink. You may notice a bridge, a feature which connects islands to land; in fact sometimes to peninsulas.
So thats thats why my dad always said “isthmus be the bridge”.
Are you trying to say MDI is not an Island?
Trying to say it is…not very well apparently.
What are you getting at? MDI is an island and not a peninsula…
I put that backasswards didn’t I?
Sounds like Hotel California ……………..you can’t leave
Nobody dictates where a person is to live or work, it is a CHOICE. You CHOOSE to live on the island, and work off, or vice versa. If you are having a fit when the only road on and off the island is closed/delayed for whatever reason, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate that choice.
While I have been very frustrated being stuck in the traffic, to some extent I do agree with you, I CHOOSE to live on an Island where there is only one road on and off, However, in this case it looks like it was some poor planning that lead to the delays. And poor planning can be rectified, Unlike the fire or the bus accident, this is something that can be worked on and prevented.
Wow! I suppose you are correct. It is a choice where you live/work, but the fact is most people who work on the island can not afford to live on the island. So they choose to live off the island and commute. My husband works on the island and we live off. Of course he could work off the island (IF he could find a job in this economy where he could make enough money to support us) but he loves his job and makes a good salary. He chooses to work on the island and live off and he occasionally gets stranded on the island and we have to make other plans (for example tonight I had to get a sitter so I could make a meeting because he could not get home in time to watch the kids). However, if there ever was a reason to evacuate the island and there was an accident at the head or something, many people (including folks who just went for the day) could be in danger. I suppose you could say people CHOOSE to go on the island, they know the risks, but a second way off would solve the problem.
So I should quit my job because people who live on MDI dictate where I work? Yes, it is my choice to have the job I do and I travel around a vast majority of the state but I should give up a good paying job because others dictate where I go?
I do my best to plan for delays but if I was stuck on MDI for two hours it would screw up my work schedule big time because my job forces me to travel to places I have no say in going to but that is my fault because I have choose not to give up a good paying job.
It’s an ISLAND.
WOW!!! Really? I had no CLUE that MDI stood for Mount Desert Island. What was I thinking when I made my COMMENT. I had no CLUE at ALL that MDI was an ISLAND.
Thank YOU so MUCH.
Kevin, Surprisingly enough, I get asked all the time “Why do they call it Mount Desert ISLAND” and have to explain that its, Uhh,well, and Island! lol
My original point was that living or working on the Island, we do have to take into account that there may be the occasional delay, due to construction, an accident (a couple years ago due to the overhead powerlines coming down on the roadway) But it becomes a huge issue when it happens over and over, This is what, the 3rd or 4th major delay this year? it’s got to stop.
I have to agree with you on this one. MDI is great, but getting on and off is increasingly difficult. Remember when Bangor was considered a one hour drive? These delays are here to stay in whatever form they take.
how about construction crews be sensitive to this area and plan accordingly. as well emergency crews should call in police for detours . MDI is the major tourist destination for eastern maine and our guests should be inconvenienced as little as possible along with all the thousands of workers who commute daily to work during the summer.
They WERE sensitive to the area. They specifically waited until tourist season was officially over before starting day work. They weren’t doing it in July were they? No, they waited until after Columbus Day, the last big weekend of the season. They only have so much time to work, until snow starts flying, & they can’t.
this not the first delay. they could have planned a detour for these repairs but did not for some reason.
I’m sorry but they did NOT wait until after Columbus Day to start working during the day, they’ve been doing that for 2 weeks now, it’s just within the past fews days that Bangor Hydro has had their own crew out there as well forcing traffic to stop even more.
Your husband must work for MDOT or one of the contractors on the job.
Way to assume. I’m a single parent. I was stranded each time (yesterday, the propane leak, AND the house fire) opposite of where I wanted to be. I could freak out, but again, I CHOOSE tho live on the island, and have to go off regularly for many things, including school & work. It’s always a choice.
So are you saying that because we live or work on the island we have no right to be upset because of a traffic tie up that could have been avoided? That’s ridiculous. They have put signs up saying to expect delays. A normal delay would be 15-20 minutes. That is acceptable. I’m sure if that is all it was people wouldn’t have gotten so upset. When it takes 2- 2/12 hours to get off from the island that isn’t acceptable. When people have jobs or appointments to get to or if they have small children they need to get home to it is no longer just affecting them. It creates a ripple effect. Last year when the house caught on fire. That was something unavoidable and people understood. It sounds to me that this time it was several different groups trying to work in the same small area and each creating their own problems. Now we all know that work has to be done on the roads during a small window of opportunity after tourist and before snow, but this should have been coordinated much better. I CHOOSE to live and work on MDI because this is where I grew up, it’s where my family is, I own a home here and I love it here. How dare you tell me I don’t have the right to be upset? Who do you think you are to say I need to reevaluate my decision to live here? I think I have just as much right to my opinion as you seem to have on every article that happens to appear in the BDN.
Not related to the traffic, but I dissagree most people have that much choice. Only people born with, given, or able to access a higher demand with that much power can really CHOOSE where they live or why. Most of us have far less choice in this world, where they end up, how that happens, or how we become work related. For example, if someone with an extrodinary amount of access to cash wants to shuffle a huge tree up route 1a blocking and delaying traffic for hours on end, most of us peons are unable to challenge that reality. Remember that. .. ??!
We need to widen that bridge and actually create some jobs, instead of just giving it lip service when the cameras are on and your trying to get elected. All that money we gave the greedy thieves in the financial industry would have widened a lot of bridges and actually created jobs.
If I lived on MDI I think I’d prefer a second bridge if it were feasible. Perhaps having one way traffic on and off might make some sense if they were right next to each other. Cape Cod has two but hey are further apart.When one is down for repairs or an accident- traffic would still flow if the bridges could could quickly be turned into 2-way spans.This current set up has no up side in a disaster situation where the weather is too poor for choppers to evacuate the injured. I was caught on the island side several years ago after a wind storm knocked over the poles. It was frustrating and I was just trying to get back to Otis.
The Trenton bridge is just one area of our infrastructure that needs to be addressed. Maybe we could borrow the money from China? lol.
The brand new Oakland bay Bridge that spans San Francisco Bay was recently constructed by a Chinese company. I hope we didn’t borrow the money from the Chinese and have them take it back just like that. How many American Union members could have worked that project? It was a huge controversy out in California.
A couple of years ago some dim wits in Washington got a bill passed to give a $20 million economic and social development GRANT to a town in China. Guess where we got the money? That’s right, we borrowed it from China! lol. You don’t suppose an American campaign contributor wanted to move a factory there from the U.S., do you? Anyone who votes for a Democrat or a Republican is a fool. It is akin to saying “Thank you sir, may I have another”. Both sides are guilty of selling this country out and fiddling while Rome burns. All they do is point the finger at each other and distract attention from the fact that they have ruined our economy and the American dream for millions of hard working men and women. We need 535 INDEPENDENT farmers and fishermen in Washington before it is too late.
Low bid gets the contract.
I, ve worked next to Chinese and Mexicans and its hard to keep the pace with them.
Ever picked apples with the Jamaicans , mon ?
I,ll bet you a Red Stripe you cant keep up.
They say the Chinese were the best workers during the building of the intercontinental railroad. However when jobs are taken away from our higher priced workers- unemployment insurance has to be added to the final bill. Is it really cheaper then?
As an employer , that has created more jobs than our Pres, I pay Un. Ins.
to the lowest payed worker on staff , as well as to the highest paid worker on staff.
However I dont get Unemployment benefits if I am out of work , while my staff does.
Fair ??? you tell me.
The paperwork involved with running a business is a Real burden.
Nightmare at so many levels.
And it really does add considerably to the cost of running a legit business.
Crunch the numbers yourself.
pay a ” living wage”.
add Un . Ins.
Work comp.
Holidays.
Business liability Ins.
Business taxes
Comm. Veh. Expenses.
Office/bookkeeping costs.
Equipment/uniforms….
$$$$??$$$$??
It adds up too quick.
The problem with that is, Americans have become lazy. Our work ethics are in the toilet. I know enough people that work all summer long and take the entire winter off and live off of their unemployment benefits. It’s disturbing to know that we pay for unemployment benefits for those that can’t find a job and actually do try and these bumpkins sit on their butts all winter and just collect.
A second bridge for light rail. A train would have whizzed past this and other traffic delays.
With all the tourist and people working on the island we actually could use another bridge either going into Trenton or Lamoine. I agree with you on the old bridge it needs to be widened . With all the advertising for tourist to come visit Acadia I think we have out grown the one bridge and one way off the island. I really like the part where the sign on the side of the road says evacuation route ! I feel like I am held hostage every night trying to get off the island to go home and No, I am not quitting my job! If we want to promote tourism I think we need to improve the roads and the bridges to handle the amount of cars that goes with it.
A big part of the problem is people who slow down to 2 mph for a bump that they could easily go over at 30 mph, many of them in 4×4 trucks and SUVs, ironically.
Many people, myself included, do not enjoy spending time and money on auto repairs. Sometimes that means slowing down in poor road conditions.
Time to trade in your Yugo.
I can’t *afford* auto repairs, so I am one of the people who crawl across the bumps in my little old car hoping the driver behind me will understand why I am. When they are graded 15-20 is acceptable for me. I do believe the speed limit for a construction zone can be as low as 25 mph (?) depending on the extent of the repair. The sign says SLOW for a reason.
I personally am more concerned about using excess fuel that will eat into my monthly budget and ultimately could leave me grounded at some point when I need to get to an appt., etc…
Even so , I believe all local traffic, commuters and residents of our areas should be given first consideration with delays when the project was planned. Maybe we could navigate the hours the visitors can have access off and on the mainland . Tag them and hand out a schedule at Thompson’s Island then give us all secret passage to Goose Cove. hehe
If your vehicle is at risk of being damaged by hitting one of these small bumps faster than 15 mph then it shouldn’t be on the road.
Nope , car totally inspected and in great working order except it’s about 12 years old and I baby the heck out of it! Remember my key words were ” couldn’t afford ” to pay for repairs. Thanks for the concern tho’.
The delay was probably motorists ahead of those calling in was too busy staring around at 1MPH as to what was going on. People can’t just drive, they have to slow down and be so nosey about what is going on instead of paying attention to the road ahead of them
Sounds like an abuse of the 9-1-1 system!
Exactly! Why are these people plugging up the 911 lines for a non emergency? Can’t you get into trouble for that?
Just get everyone their own helicopter…..problem solved!! After all, Obama has one.
I’d like mine to be midnight black please… with bright blue LED’s on the Rotors
maybe a Bell-222 like on a certain television show from the 80’s? Cool Idea.
Oh heck yes!!! As for the Jetpack idea, No way, jetpacks have a fatal flaw, They burn your legs off!!!
Maybe a Harrier Jump jet!
What about a jet-pack? I thought we’d all have our own personal jet-packs by now and we’d be buzzing around like the Jetsons.
I had concerns about being able to get on and off the Island tomorrow (Friday the 12th) and called the DOT in Ellsworth. I have never in my life been treated with more respect and honesty by a Government Official than I was with Meg Lane, Brad Foley and two other individuals. I was promised a call back by Mr Foley and he did so within a couple of hours. Everyone addressed my concerns about being able to meet one of the Cruise Ships, get the passengers to Bangor and back again in time to make the 5:00 pm sailing. While I understand the frustration that folks living and working there have with the long delays, I really believe that everyone is doing the best that they can to fix the situation as fast as possible.
“Drivers irate after another Trenton delay blocks MDI traffic”
Quit whining and get a boat.
Sit in traffic for 50 minutes at night for a couple of nights to get from the narrows camp ground to just over the bridge and see how you feel! Oh and by the way I don’t want a boat but it might be a good job for someone that has a ferry! The Cat terminal is vacant we could load there and they could take us across…
A ferry might actually be a good idea.
Get over yourselves. Do you want the roads fixed and maintained or not? How about this, they can work on these roads but they will do it only at night when everyone (almost everyone) is trying to sleep.
how about detours around it – hours of delays is ridiculous.
There are no detours, and that is the problem. An island with one bridge, and no ferry service.
this was not on the bridge it was by the airport. detours should have been arranged in advance.
It doesn’t sound like you’ve ever been there. One has to pass over the bridge. There is construction between the bridge and the new airport entrance, long before Oak Point Rd. It’s not the current airport entrance. still–no detour.
Agreed… There is NOTHING they can’t do at night, regardless of their excuses.
In major metro areas ALL of the work they’re doing would be done at night.
There is simply no excuse.
This is not a major metro area. It’s small town America. Isn’t that the reason all the people who move here from away choose here, BECAUSE it’s small town America?
When small town America suffers due to the lack of planning of utilities, it makes it as painful as living in a major metro area. This is not noisy work. Do it at night.
Whose house do you suggest we drive through?
I go through that area every day about 1:30. The problem is not the construction crews it’s the flaggers. Yesterday I saw 5 flaggers every one of them poorly positioned and clearly not communicating effectively with each other. 4 of the flaggers were on the south end and only 1 on the north end and not positioned correctly to help move the traffic coming off of RT 230. I personally had to let 20 cars merge in otherwise they would have just been sitting there. There is no reason traffic should be backed up all the way to the Desert Narrows camp ground from what I can see.
THE CLUELESS FINALLY GOT A CLUE! They had no idea of the traffic volume????? Idiots! All they had to do is visit the site to see the cluster@#&$ they had created. It took me 1 1/4 hours to get from Bar Harbor to the bridge on thursday. That normally is a 20 minute drive. About time they pulled their thumbs out of their butts. Remember though, these are the same people who OKed the apple tree fiasco that tied up traffic for up to 4 hours a few years ago. Did anyone figure how much time and wages were lost because of that one?
I’ve been in constuction all over the country and this was the worst yesterday. Very poor planning to get north bound off island. This was at 10:30 am, so it wasn’t workers. Hard to hear about delays when your not from area.
The work is happening at night…. as a matter of fact, the only hour during the day that they claim they are NOT working is 7pm to 8pm. The traffic is only slowed up because of the construction… If you are anyone that has sat in that traffic the past 2 days for a minimum of an hour, you’ve probably noticed that there’s NO traffic jam coming onto the island. The PROBLEM is the “alternating merge” at the head of the island. People don’t know how to handle it, and the construction area being basically right after that is what’s causing the CARMAGGEDON!!! I do choose to work on the island while my home is on mainland, and in cases where someone’s lives/house are at risk because of the uncontrollable situations that occur, I will sit in traffic and hope that people are okay. But poorly designed roadways/intersections are to blame here. Either another bridge, or widen the one that’s there, and engineered by people that actually drive through there on a daily basis.
So much for the thousands of dollars spent for an Evacuation Route that has been put in place.