$77.1M in road improvements on tap for Aroostook and Washington counties

PHOTO / FRED FIELD Route 1 is the focus of two road improvement projects in Aroostook and Washington counties.

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By Staff

A bypass route for Presque Isle and improvement of 68 miles of Route 1 in Washington County will be the focal point of road projects totaling $77.1 million.

Money for the two projects was awarded to the Maine Department of Transportation by the competitive Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program, which leverages federal grants to help communities invest in high-priority projects to fix crumbling infrastructure.

The projects will complete the bypass in Presque Isle to divert tractor trailers from the city’s Main Street (Route 1) and will rehabilitate 68 miles of Route 1 between Machias and Calais.

“U.S. Route 1 is a vital transportation corridor that many Mainers rely on every day to get to work, go to school and access health care and other essential services,” U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a news release.

The Presque Isle bypass is expected to help keep the largest trucks off downtown streets, making it safer and easier for residents to reach local businesses.

The improvements to the stretch of Route 1 Downeast is expected to help reduce crashes, improve access to local communities and the Bold Coast Scenic Byway and Bikeway and facilitate the movement of Maine products.

The projects “will enhance Maine’s transportation system in Aroostook and Washington counties, preserve and create jobs, and deliver direct benefits to families and businesses,” Collins said.

“Both of these projects will have a significant impact on rural Maine communities for generations to come,” said Bruce Van Note, commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation.

About the projects

Presque Isle corridor

MDOT will receive $44.1 million to complete Phase II of a commercial two-lane bypass route of Presque Isle’s Main Street (Route 1), constructing an approximately 6.3-mile-long, two-lane highway that will connect U.S. Route 1 south of the city to the current bypass section already in service. The project also includes a new interchange at U.S. Route 1 and Conant Road; truck climbing lanes; four new overpasses to grade separate the bypass from Henderson Road, Easton Road, Conant Road and the rail line; box culverts; and multiuse trail crossings at Conant Road and Henderson Road.

Creating a limited access bypass of downtown Presque Isle will allow traffic — particularly large trucks — to avoid 147 commercial/residential driveways, 25 street intersections, 12 crosswalks, nine stoplights and one railroad crossing. The bypass will reduce truck traffic at five known high crash locations in the project area and will also reduce emissions from traffic idling at intersections in town.

Route 1 rehab

MDOT will receive $33 million to rehabilitate approximately 68 miles of Route 1 in Washington County, including shoulder widening, replacing drainage structures, making safety improvements such as installing new guardrails and rumble strips, and preparing the corridor for electric vehicle chargers.

The safety improvements and shoulder widening is expected to significantly reduce the number of lane departure crashes, which are a known safety issue in this corridor. The project serves recreational travel, freight movement, and access to essential services, as it includes segments of the newly designated Bold Coast Scenic Byway and Bikeway, is adjacent to an international land border and seaport, and connects two related tribal communities.