OLD TOWN, Maine — Some travelers in Old Town can expect a change during their commute on Tuesday.
The Maine Department of Transportation will be closing both Llewellyn Estes Bridges that carry Stillwater Avenue over the Stillwater River in Old Town from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for a one-day closure, according to a news release from the MaineDOT.
"This closure is needed so contracting crews can safely install the crane that will be used to construct a two-lane temporary bridge upstream from the existing bridge this fall," the MaineDOT said.
Travelers will reportedly be detoured from Stillwater Avenue to Route 2A (College Avenue), to Route 2 (Main Street), Route 16 (Bennoch Road), then return to Stillwater Avenue.
MaineDOT says it expects traffic to use the temporary bridge by the end of April 2024 after construction began on July 24 this year.
The temporary bridge is slated to include "two-way vehicle traffic, a pedestrian sidewalk, and temporary utilities in preparation of the replacement of the existing bridge system," according to MaineDOT.
A 30-ton weight restriction was reportedly placed on the northern portion of the two bridges in July 2022.