MONTICELLO, Maine — Traffic on Route 1 in Monticello has been slowed to one lane so Maine Department of Transportation crews can complete a complicated $600,000 painting job on the Meduxnekeag Bridge over the North Branch Meduxnekeag River, just north of School Street.
There is a lot of work that often goes unseen by the public to protect the water below, DOT spokesman Damian Veilleux said.
The job includes 100 percent containment of the old paint and set-ups that prevent the paint from entering the water below. Once the paint is removed, the metal is sand-blasted until bare and painted in a three-coat system, Veilleux said.
The cost for the bridge upgrade includes jersey barriers, one-lane traffic control and lead paint disposal, he said.
In 2022, DOT completed several other projects in Monticello including the bridge washing, cleaning eight drainage structures, sweeping 12 miles of shoulder, removing 725 linear feet of brush, paving 166 square feet of pavement and repairing four square feet of bridge curb and sidewalk, according to a DOT work plan report.
The bridge painting project is slated for completion at the end of the month and two lanes of traffic will be opened at that time, according to the DOT.
