Things You Should Know About the Portland Area Maine Turnpike Project

Construction in Maine

Living in a state that is constantly expanding and growing means having to deal with the annoyances of construction.

It feels like every summer there’s a new project to avoid on the roads and as soon as you see orange cones or a crane in the distance, you can expect a delay.

A lot of this construction happens here in Portland, a city that is always improving and changing. One project, in particular, has welcomed a lot of construction on the roads in Portland and will continue to advance well into the fall.

Mainline Widening Project in Portland, Maine

The Mainline Widening Project started in 2021 and as the Maine Turnpike website shares, is expected to be completed by October 27, 2023.

This $24 million project is coming with a huge change: three lanes going south and northbound on the Maine Turnpike in South Portland and Portland.

What does this entail in terms of construction?

• Embankment construction
• Roadway gravel and pavement construction
• Culvert and closed drainage installation
• Concrete median barrier
• Concrete median pier protection
• Bridge abutment slope protection
• Overhead sign structure removal
• Overhead sign structure installation
• Roadway signing and striping
• Highway lighting
• Guardrail construction
• Maintenance of traffic

As the Maine Turnpike Facebook shared in February, the project has been been in shutdown mode for the winter but will resume in March, depending on the weather. We like to think of March as the start of spring but we just got dumped on with another snowstorm, so we’ll see.

The most recent completion included Exit 47 and 46 on/off ramp improvements in Portland, median barrier improvements, and an Exit 45 diamond interchange.

This is a massive ongoing project that may cause traffic while it gets completed but will ultimately, hopefully, lower the amount of traffic on the turnpike as a third lane is added and the road is widened.

While construction is annoying and definitely a nuisance in the summer while you try to go frolic in your warm-weather activities, it is ultimately a benefit to the city and those living and traveling within it.

As Portland continues to grow, so does our infrastructure.