While they are concerned about potential traffic problems during construction, some local business owners are looking forward to an improved Route 302.
The Maine Department of Transportation is widening and improving a stretch of Route 302 between East Bridge Street and Pride’s Corner. Work began this week and will continue to right before the July 4 weekend.
The state is planning to repave Route 302, widen the road with 8-foot paved shoulders, add a granite curb, upgrade the road’s drainage, and replace existing sidewalks by June 30. A construction crew was out on the road Monday beginning the first phase of the project, which will be to strengthen the shoulders with gravel to widen the work area to maintain two lanes of traffic.
“We’ll try to maintain two-way traffic as much as possible,” said Ryan Hodgman, environmental coordinator for the state. “But there will be times of one-lane alternating traffic.”
Daniel Bodge, co-owner of Corsetti’s Variety on 302 along the construction route said he’s looking forward to having the roadwork done. “It’s going to slow business down but it’ll be better in the long run,” he said, noting that drainage along the road is a problem. “Every time it rains, we have big puddles out front.”
Jim Violette, who owns two buildings between East Bridge Street and Pride Street, said he’s sure traffic will be slowed by the project but the work is needed. “The road is in bad shape so it’ll be nice to have it improved,” he said. His only concern was an increase in speed along the road after the surface is repaved and there are no more potholes to slow drivers down.
Hodgman said he didn’t believe traffic would be that much of a problem although there will some slowdowns. He said the state is encouraging travelers to find alternate routes around the just over half-mile stretch being redone. He also said the contractor, Pratt & Sons, will try to limit lane closures to one-way alternating, particularly during peak traffic hours, and will not be working over Memorial Day weekend.
The project is the latest in a long line of construction projects on Route 302. Westbrook City Administrator Jerre Bryant said this go-round is the last link in the total reconstruction of Route 302.
“This is really the final piece of reconstruction of 302 from Portland to Raymond,” he said. “It’s a desperately needed project and very challenging because it’s a high-traffic corridor. Like any reconstruction, it’s disruptive and people will have to put up with an inconvenience.”
City Engineer Eric Dudley said he doesn’t expect any major delays from the work because it’s a relatively small project. He said if the city has any concerns over the next two months he would contact the state and let them know. Going into the project, the city’s only real concern beyond traffic issues was drainage on the East Bridge Street end of the road, and the state is aware of Westbrook’s concerns, he said.
Charlie Guy, the on-site engineer for the state, said when lane closures occur, they will be limited to 1,000-foot stretches of road. He also said the state will try to avoid lane closures during peak traffic hours between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to around 5 p.m. at all costs. During those times, traffic reaches about 1,300 cars per hour along that section of Route 302, he said.
Guy said the contractor doing the work is very familiar with managing traffic to minimize the impacts of the roadwork. To help things, the state has put two variable board signs up at Forest Avenue and Methodist Road warning drivers of the roadwork ahead and potential delays.
Road construction on Route 302 could slow traffic until midsummer.
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