BANGOR, Maine — The Maine Department of Transportation will shut down a portion of Interstate 395 for a few days next month.
DOT officials will hold a news conference outlining their plans for the project at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Bangor City Hall.
According to electronic signs posted around I-395, the road could be shut down May 6-10 between Exit 1, which links vehicles to I-95, and Exit 2 to Route 202. MDOT says about 36,000 motorists pass over that stretch of road each day.
MDOT spokesman Ted Talbot clarified Monday that the May 6-10 window isn’t guaranteed. The shutdown also could be scheduled to start May 13 or May 20, depending on weather conditions. Talbot said crews need several days of good weather in a row to get the work done over one long weekend.
The state is replacing the I-395 bridge that passes over a seldom used stretch of Webster Avenue beyond Bangor Municipal Golf Course.
The bridge project isn’t directly related to the $5.25 million overhaul of the entire 5-mile stretch of I-395 that will take place throughout the summer. Shawn Smith, senior project manager for the Department of Transportation, detailed that project earlier this month, saying it wouldn’t affect daytime traffic.
The highway serves as a popular connector between Bangor and Brewer and a quick, easy means of getting to Route 1A, especially in summer months, when tourists and locals head to Acadia National Park and the Bar Harbor area.
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