Work to rebuild the only road connecting Deer Isle and Stonington to the mainland, so it is more resilient to climate change, is set to start in late spring 2027 after years of anticipation.
The project has become more urgent in recent years as high tides more frequently flood the Deer Isle Causeway during storms, leaving behind rocks and seaweed that can block the road. During one of 2024’s historic January storms, it was inaccessible for hours under more than a foot of water.
Local officials for years have raised alarms about the nearly century-old causeway’s vulnerability to the sea and about the consequences that closing it would have for public safety and the island economy. Along with flooding and debris, they have raised concerns about erosion and asphalt crumbling along the road’s edge.
The Maine Department of Transportation, which maintains the state road, said in 2023 that it would rebuild the causeway as it continued to deteriorate. Last year, representatives said it planned to raise the causeway by 4.6 feet to a total height of 13.8 feet – and higher in some spots – to withstand sea level rise projections while making it roughly eight feet wider, the Island Ad-Vantages newspaper reported.
The multimillion dollar project was dependent on $12 million in congressionally directed spending, which was included in an appropriations bill in the summer of 2025 but not secured until last month.
With the funding committed, the state is moving ahead.
Final plans are expected this spring, and the department will first hold a meeting presenting them for public feedback, a spokesperson said. A date for that meeting hasn’t been set yet.
The department’s current three-year work plan lists a reconstruction project along that section of Route 15 with funding totalling just over $22 million. Officials have previously said construction will be lengthy because the road will have to remain partially open to traffic, as there are no possible detours.