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Northbound Off-Ramp Closure at Exit 80 to Begin Sunday Night

Maine Turnpike Authority Logo FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 05, 2014
Erin Courtney
513-2982
ecourtney@maineturnpike.com
CONTACT: Dan Morin (MTA)
838-8613
dmorin@maineturnpike.com


Northbound Off-Ramp Closure at Exit 80 to Begin Sunday Night

Ramp to be Closed for Approximately 7 Days Beginning Sunday, September 7th

LEWISTON, Maine – Beginning Sunday evening, September 7, 2014, the northbound off-ramp at the Lewiston Interchange (Exit 80) will be closed for reconstruction.  The work is scheduled to begin Sunday at 6:00 p.m. and the ramp is expected to be closed through Saturday, September 13th.  The ramp reconstruction is part of Phase I, the first phase of the Lewiston Interchange improvement project that is currently underway. All work will be weather dependent.  
 
During the closure, the signed detour route is to continue north past Exit 80, get off at Exit 86 in Sabattus and reverse direction. Message boards will be in place to inform approaching travelers of the closure, and Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) broadcasts on 1610 AM will also be used to inform drivers. The Maine Turnpike Authority appreciates motorists’ patience and understanding during this construction.
 
After work to the northbound off-ramp is completed, there will be a round of nighttime ramp closures for final paving of the remaining ramps, possibly beginning the week of September 15th.  These closures are expected to last 1 to 2 nights per ramp.  More information will be available once the schedule is finalized.    
 
The project is being completed in phases.  Phase I, a $5.1 million project, awarded to RJ Grondin & Sons of Gorham, Maine, began in January 2014 and is expected to be completed by fall 2014.  Construction on Phase II (the mainline and bridges) is scheduled to begin in fall 2014.  The third and final phase, Phase III, will tie the single point ramps into a single new traffic signal on Alfred Plourde Parkway.
 
The new interchange has been designed as a Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI). This will be the first SPUI design in the State of Maine. The SPUI design was selected to reduce impacts on adjacent property owners, reduce impacts on natural resources, improve current traffic operations, and to accommodate the future growth in the region.
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