HOULTON, Maine — Houlton residents looking to get to Route 1 will not be able to do so via the Highland Avenue bridge for at least a few weeks, as the Maine Department of Transportation begins roadwork on Aug. 12.
The Maine DOT will be installing a new concrete wearing surface as well as new asphalt paving for the bridge, which spans across the Meduxnekeag River and above the walking trail connecting to Riverfront Park. Paul Merrill, a spokesman for the Maine DOT, said that the wearing surface installation could take a few weeks to be completed.
“We put the project out to bid twice. Both times, we got bids that were too high, so we had to reject them,” Merrill said. “We’re going to be doing some thinner paving treatments using our own crews.”
The bridge also includes a stairway on one side that connects it to the Riverfront Park trail. While people walking on the side of the bridge opposite the stairway won’t have access, Merrill said the construction would not interfere in any way with the trail itself.
