Portland projects reroute traffic in the air and on the roads

Courtesy / City of Portland Congress Square and the intersection of Congress and High streets, shown here in a rendering, will get an overhaul that has been in planning stages for more than five years.

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By Jessica Hall

A $13.8 million runway improvement project is diverting traffic at the Portland International Jetport, while two major construction projects are altering Portland road traffic throughout the city.

In a confluence of events, three major, long-planned projects began this week, altering area transportation.

Jetport

At the Jetport, east/west Runway 11/29 closed Monday and will continue to be off-limits through June 13.

During this time, all air traffic in and out of the airport will be operating on its secondary north-south runway. But the redirection will mean a significant change in air traffic over Portland, South Portland, Scarborough and Westbrook.

Later, from May 16 through June 13, the Jetport will be closed for fixed wing aircraft from 10:30 p.m. to 5:45 a.m. to facilitate rehabilitating the runway intersection.

The project is needed because asphalt surfaces have a limited lifespan and require periodic repair and rehabilitation. The jetport’s primary runway was resurfaced in 2004. Asphalt runways in northern climates typically require rehabilitation every 15 to 20 years.

Veranda Street

Meanwhile, for vehicular traffic, there’s plenty of re-routing going on.

Construction crews are replacing the aging Veranda Street Bridge on Interstate 295, but are limiting the closure to 64 hours, rather than months or years.

A stretch of Interstate 295 will shut down for the weekend, and a portion of Veranda Street is closed from April 18-25.

Starting April 22, construction crews will slowly maneuver a new 80-foot-long span for I-295 into place above the street, while removing the old overpass.

It was built in 1961 and an MDOT inspection five years ago found it structurally deficient.

Construction on the project started about a year ago, and will extend beyond the actual replacement to this November. The total closure, however, is limited to this weekend.

In addition to replacing the aging bridge, crews will create a safer intersection with Veranda Street, add lanes to protect bicyclists and pedestrians and fix problematic drainage.

Cianbro’s contract is for $18.1 million. The overall cost, including engineering and inspection expenses, is $20.8 million.

The Maine Department of Transportation urged motorists to avoid the Portland-to-Falmouth area if at all possible, or use the Maine Turnpike and its Falmouth Spur.

Congress Square

In downtown Portland, Gordon Construction began work Monday on the major overhaul of Congress Square, at the intersection of Congress and High streets.

The initial work consists of moving materials on-site and deployment of construction signs, as well as removal of small traffic islands in the intersection.

Phase A of the project will soon follow, including construction along the southeast corner of the intersection, temporarily impacting access to Free Street. Scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2023, Phase A will also fully replace the sidewalks in the intersection, add brand-new traffic signals and lighting, create a more compact, urban-friendly intersection, and provide much-needed landscaping and street trees.

Phase B will be announced later this year, and be followed by a construction pause in November.

The Congress Square Redesign project is a large-scale renovation of a major public open space in Portland’s most densely populated and diverse neighborhood. Within the next two years, this neighborhood will see the addition of roughly 870 new dwelling units within a 0.5 mile walk of Congress Square.

There are two parts to this project — the redesign of the public open space known as Congress Square, and the creation of a public artwork to be integrated and located in the new design.

The project has had a high level of community interest and participation with neighborhood organizations, residents, nonprofits, arts organizations, and the business community working with the city of Portland for more than five years.