SEARSPORT, Maine — A $17.8 million construction project in downtown Searsport is nearing completion.
Crews have been rebuilding 2 miles of Route 1 since last spring, but town leaders are now estimating the work will be done in October.
For the past two summers, travelers on Route 1 have experienced one-way traffic and a detour. Now, the road has been repaved and is back open to two-way traffic while crews finish other renovations.
“It’s been a hassle, but at the same time it was desperately needed,” Searsport resident Josh Ramsey said.
Many businesses downtown have been struggling during the construction and are ready for it to end.
Ramsey is the general manager at Bluejacket Shipcrafters. He said he is satisfied with the progress that’s been made but noted that it’s been tough.
“From a business standpoint, we've certainly seen a downtick in people coming through the store,” Ramsey said.
Splendiferous Sweet Shoppe down the road reported a similar experience.
“Even now that the detour's down, we're not seeing our regular summer volumes,” shop owner Meryem Rogan said.
Although it has been challenging, Rogan said she is happy with the improvements that have come from the construction.
“They needed to get it done. It absolutely had to happen, and I am feeling a bit of relief,” Rogan said.
Town Manager James Gillway said the Route 1 construction was long overdue.
“This particular section of Route 1, I'm told, was the last undeveloped section of Route 1 from here to Florida,” Gillway said.
According to the project’s contractors, construction is about 87 percent complete.
Crews have replaced underdrains and repaved the road. Now they’re working on building more sidewalks and landscaping.
“It hopefully will stimulate some additional visitation to downtown, some growth in the business area,” Gillway said.
Local shop owners are optimistic that business will return to normal once construction is over.
“We're hoping next summer is a really awesome one,” Rogan said.
Ramsey agreed.
“We're all very excited. They've done a fantastic job," he said. "Looking forward to it being over."