I-395 in Bangor and Brewer to Get Major Overhaul This Summer

The Maine Department of Transportation will start a major renovation project on I-395, between Bangor and Brewer, next month, but officials say the highway will still be open to traffic.

Anyone who's traveled that stretch or road will tell you that it's awful. If you're traveling east, toward Brewer, there are huge ruts in the pavement as you approach the Parkway South exit that will pull at your tires. The pavement is pockmarked and crumbling, in places, and can be treacherous in bad weather.

So the BDN reports the Maine DOT is planning to fix it this summer. And we're not talking about some patchwork. The project will include ripping up the road, resurfacing it, repaving it, fixing guardrails and curbing, installing new lighting, and more. Obviously, this is not something that will get done in a week's time, so that portion of interstate will see construction throughout the summer, starting in May.

Motorists will still be able to get through, as officials don't plan to shut it down to traffic, except for some nighttime lane work. But there could be delays, and motorcyclists will probably want to avoid it when it's stripped down to grooved pavement.