By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
ISLAND FALLS — After four long months of detours through the rural community of Island Falls, Interstate-95 has officially re-opened for northbound traffic.
Completed 12 days ahead of schedule, northbound traffic from Island Falls to Oakfield re-opened for traffic Monday. The road reconstruction was one of the major projects for the Maine Department of Transportation this season.
A 6.5-mile stretch of I-95 northbound was reconstructed to help alleviate frost heaves in the winter, repair and replace existing guardrails and drainage structures as well as minor bridge work, according to Ted Talbot, public relations director for Maine’s Department of Transportation.
Traffic was detoured onto U.S. Route 2.
“Specialized equipment was used on this project, in particular a 25-foot-wide paver which assisted in the elimination of a centerline joint,” Talbot said in a press release. “It is expected that this procedure will help reduce future roadway maintenance costs.”
Lane Construction Corporation of Connecticut performed this $13.3 million project. Talbot added that in the next construction season, starting in 2014, Route 2 is on the list of roads targeted for reconstruction.
