Scott Blanchard, superintendent for Sargent Corporation, reminds motorists that traffic may at times be reduced to one lane during certain construction activities for both the Route 89 and Route 1 bridges that are part of the Caribou Connector Project.
The speed limit in the Route 89 construction zone has been reduced to 35 mph and is expected to remain at that speed until construction of the bridge is complete later this fall.
Blanchard also stated that the Sargent Corporation anticipates beginning the excavation for the Route 1 bridge abutment footings by the end of this week in order to be ready for the first concrete placements on May 16. Plans are to maintain two-way traffic through this construction zone and as with Route 89, there may be occasional periods of one lane traffic for certain construction activities. Traffic speed in this construction zone will be 40 mph.
This construction activity is referred to as Contract 2 of the Caribou Connector Project which will be a new highway beginning at the intersection of Routes 1 and 89 extending northerly for approximately 2.75 miles where the first phase of the Caribou Connector project is already under construction.
This second phase of the project is designed and built by the Sargent Design Build team under contract with the Maine Department of Transportation. In addition to Sargent Corporation, the other primary members of the Design-Build team are T Y Lin International and Lane Construction.
The project is scheduled to be complete by September, 2012.
