AUGUSTA, Maine — The more than 70-year-old Western Avenue Bridge is under construction in Augusta. The $30 million project, which started in 2023, aims to replace the structure with a new upgraded one.
With about a dozen shops near it, busy roads, and on- and off-ramps to Interstate 95, drivers going through the area over the next year will want to watch for traffic pattern changes.
Devan Eaton, the senior project manager with the Maine Department of Transportation, said the bridge will be raised by two feet.
"The replacement structure will get up to the 16-foot minimum requirement for clearance over the interstate," Eaton said.
Before the actual permanent bridge can be rebuilt, a temporary one is being constructed to help divert traffic.
"We're going to be installing a three-lane temporary bridge, which maintains two lanes in the westbound direction and one lane in the eastbound direction," Eaton added.
Additionally, drivers soon won't be able to make a left-hand turn.
"We're going to detour the left-hand turn to Whitten Road from the westbound direction of Western Avenue through the 109/I-95 on-ramp interchange system," Eaton said. "We'll install a connector roadway from the southbound on-ramp to Whitten Road."
It's something Augusta City Manager Jared Mills said he's on board with.
"I think it's a pretty good use of that," Mills said. "I think people will find it's more convenient because you'll be able to exit onto the Whitten Road which might be closer to where you're going."
The new permanent bridge will also be shortened length-wise, allowing the addition of wider sidewalks.
"3,500 feet total to really improve bicycle and pedestrian traffic and movements through the area," Eaton said. "So, it's really a big safety increase or improvement for the area."
The on-ramps from the eastbound direction onto I-95 will also be shifted slightly with a sharper curve to help deter drivers from speeding.
"The actually turning lane onto the interstate starts on the bridge which makes it longer and more of a sweeping curve, which makes them increase their speed, so when they have to merge if they're heading northbound or southbound, it can be an issue at that location," Mills explained of the current bridge.
The temporary bridge will be ready sometime in November and will be in place for almost a year. Then, the new permanent Western Avenue bridge will open in September 2025 with construction site clean-up stretching into 2026.