By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — Hopefully Caribou and Limestone look good in traffic-cone orange because the Access Highway (Route 89) repaving project is only halfway completed. With roughly a month and a half left until the $2,180,000 9.61-mile project meets its expected September 3rd completion, motorists are reminded to slow down when traveling through construction zones.
On an average day, anywhere from 4,000 to 8,000 vehicles traverse the Access Highway from Caribou to the West Gate Road; approximately 2,200 to 4,000 cars use the highway from the West Gate Road to Limestone.
“When motorists are driving on Rte. 89 or are in any other construction/work zone are, please slow down, pay attention to the flaggers and be prepared to stop. We are very concerned about the safety of our workers as well as the safety of the traveling public,” said Project Manager of the Northern Region of the Maine Department of Transportation Highway Program Jon Bither.
According to Bither, two treatments are being completed as part of the project; from Caribou to the West Gate Road an inch and a half mill and fill of the mainline travelway is being completed.
“This work consists of removal of an inch and a half of the existing pavement; the milled area is then re-paved with new pavement,” Bither explained.
Project plans for the section from the West Gate Road to Limestone include rehabilitating the existing gravel shoulders and overlaying the existing pavement and the rehabilitated shoulder with two layers of new pavement.
Approximately 4.88 miles of the Access Highway are being repaved in Caribou and 4.73 miles in Limestone; this stretch of road was last paved in 1995.
The prime contractor for the project is Lane Construction of Connecticut, which is performing the pavement removal with milling machine and all paving work; sub-contracted for the project is Ground Breakers of Presque Isle, who are completing drainage and earth work improvements. Gervais Fence of Limestone is completing guardrail installations.
There is also another 3.75 miles of paving on Rte. 1A north of Limestone which is also a part of the MDOT contract.
