Reports indicate that the reduction of I-295 northbound to one lane for a three-mile section of the highway approaching the Royal River Bridge in Yarmouth is causing significant traffic delays. The lane closure, which was announced several days ago, is necessary due to bridgework and paving. The lane closure went into effect as scheduled on Friday evening, July 23 at approximately 9:00 p.m. and will continue until 12:00 noon on Monday, July 26. The weekend lane closure will be repeated the following weekend, Friday July 30th through Monday August 2nd, if weather conditions allow.

The Maine Department of Transportation will be closing a short section of Route 104 in Sidney on August 9 in order to replace a deteriorating culvert. The culvert is located between the Lyons Road and Densmore Road in Sidney.

Crews are expected to begin removal of the culver at 5:00 a.m. on August 9, and expect to complete the repairs by 8:00 p.m. Replacement of this culvert is dependent on the weather, and in the case of excessive rains, the replacement of this culvert could be postponed to a later date.

The Maine Department of Transportation has postponed the replacement of a culvert on Route 197 in Richmond until next year. MaineDOT engineers recently re-inspected the culvert, and while the culvert is in need of replacement, it is structurally sound and poses no risk to traffic if not replaced until next year.

Two Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) highway projects in Scarborough, one on Route 1 and one on Payne Road, are set to begin this coming Sunday evening.

Motorists who utilize Route 219 in Turner near Howes Corner should expect delays as road construction is set to begin Tuesday, August 17. Crews will be repaving a 1.75 mile section of the road, and expect to complete the project by early October.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane of alternating traffic as crews start to remove the pavement and repave the area from Howes Corner easterly for 1.75 miles.

Along with the paving, crews will be reinforcing the road shoulders and afterwards will be reseeding the shoulder area along this stretch of road.

Maine?s marine-based container-shipping feeder service, which operates out of Portland?s International Marine Terminal (IMT), has been selected as one of eight projects nationwide to be part of the U.S. DOT?s Marine Highway Program. Yesterday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood designated the container feeder service, which runs between Portland, Boston, and New York, as a ?project? within the program. This designation makes the service eligible for federal funding.

Construction crews are set to begin improvements on the Hotel Road intersection at Young?s Corner in Auburn this Monday, August 23.

Motorists should expect delays at the intersection due to the high volume of traffic and the confined construction area. Traffic will be limited to one-way, alternating traffic regulated by flaggers.

Construction is set to begin Sunday night on a section of Route 196 between I-295 and Route 201 in Topsham.

Crews will be removing the top layer of the existing, deteriorating pavement, and then repaving that section of Route 196 from the I-295 bridge to the intersection of Route 196 and Main Street (Route 201).

Beginning Thursday, August 26th at 7 AM there will be a new traffic pattern for tractor trailer trucks, large RVs or other large vehicles. MaineDOT will eliminate the left turn onto Christian Ridge Road for at least a week so the contractor can construct a concrete turning lane. During that week, there will be a detour for large vehicles that will utilize Boggy Brook Road and Vittum Road.

Motorists who utilize Route 7 in Newport near the Corrinna town line should expect delays as construction continues on the Mulligan Stream Bridge. For the next 21 days, traffic will be limited to one-way, alternating traffic regulated by temporary signal lights.

The three-week lane closure is necessary as construction crews replace the Mulligan Stream Bridge. Crews will maintain one eleven-foot wide travel lane over the bridge during this period.

Motorists should expect delays during the morning and evening commutes.