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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2016
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Overnight Stoppages at West Gardiner Toll Plaza for ORT Project
Up to 25-minute stoppages Thursday, April 28 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
PORTLAND, Maine – On Thursday evening, April 28, 2016, a series of 25-minute stoppages will occur at the West Gardiner Toll Plaza on the Maine Turnpike. The stoppages will begin at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday evening and will continue until work is completed, up to 5:00 a.m. Friday morning. Stoppages will occur in one direction at a time, beginning first with the northbound lanes. The stoppages are necessary while crews erect the space frame canopy for Open Road Tolling (ORT) lanes currently being constructed. The space frame spans over the ORT lanes and is what the electronic tolling equipment attaches to overhead.
The $6 million project, awarded to Wyman & Simpson of Richmond, Maine, began in April 2015 and completion is scheduled for fall 2016. Once finished, there will be one highway speed toll lane in both directions allowing E-ZPass users to pay their tolls without slowing down. This technology is the same as the ORT plaza currently open in New Gloucester along the Maine Turnpike.
All work is weather dependent. Motorists should prepare for delays or seek alternate travel routes during the stoppages. Message boards will be in place to inform approaching travelers of closures, 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.
Visit MaineTurnpike.com for information on Turnpike projects and weekly construction advisories and lane closure reports. Motorists can also sign up to receive travel alerts by email and follow us on Facebook or Twitter for timely travel alerts and additional Turnpike information.
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