Maine’s continued rise in popularity as a destination for families, foodies, and outdoor enthusiasts has led to a rise in back-ups and traffic jams at the state’s southern gateway, a development that doesn’t benefit anyone. Maine Ahead will modernize two of Maine’s iconic entry points, the Piscataqua River Bridge, and the York Toll Plaza, alleviating the problem and providing a more welcoming entry to the state WITHOUT increasing toll prices. When Maine Ahead is finished, both commuters and visitors will breathe a sigh of relief when they crest the bridge and see Maine’s state line sign welcoming them home.
Contractor: Reed & Reed, Inc.
Bid Amount: $ 39,484,431
Percent Complete last approved pay estimate: 80.3 %
Project Schedule: Completion date June 21, 2021.
Contractor Schedule: Reed & Reed’s crews continue to work on median concrete barrier, toll booths, highway lighting, and tunnel electrical work. Many highway sign foundations have been installed and will continue to be installed as weather allows. The earth work sub-contractor has mobilized off the site until spring weather arrives. Mechanical contractors are up fitting the booths with heat and air conditioning and are also running service lines to these systems as well from the controls inside the tunnel. TransCore, the tolling contractor, has been installing pieces of the tolling system alongside Reed & Reed electricians as they make progress towards integrating and completing the electrical and tolling systems. Over the winter months Reed & Reed’s crews and sub-contractors will continue placing concrete around the new toll booths, building the canopies, installing conduits, wiring, lighting, and highway signs. Once warmer weather arrives, crews will shift to finishing the remaining earthwork in preparation for paving the cash lanes.
Contractor Schedule: Reed & Reed continue to build the outer cash lanes and booths both north and south bound. Their electricians continue to run wire and make connections to the new booths and inside the tunnel. RJ Grondin has been assisting with the cash lane construction, excavating for storm water ponds, and prepping the site for median barrier. Paving should resume in mid-April, if the weather conditions are favorable. Reed & Reed looks to complete this project by mid-June, depending on the weather conditions this spring.
Contractor: Reed & Reed, Inc.
Project Schedule: Completion date June 21, 2021.
Contractor Schedule: Reed & Reed crews swapped over to phase III of the project in mid-October. Since then, crews have been working in the new work areas. Reed & Reed forces have been building the outer cash lanes and booths both north and south bound. They’ve had electricians running wire and making connections to the new booths and the tunnel. RJ Grondin has been working on removing temporary pavement from phase II, assisting with the cash lane construction, digging trenches for highway lighting conduit, installing median drainage, and prepping the site for median barrier. Pike Industries recently stopped paving for the year due to winter work restrictions. Up until then, they had been milling and shimming main line and cash lane locations, bringing the grades and cross slopes up to the new design requirements. Reed & Reed looks to complete this project by mid-June, if the spring weather is favorable.
Contractor: Reed & Reed, Inc. Bid Amount: $ 39,484,431
Project Schedule: Completion date June 21, 2021.
Contractor Schedule: The contractor continues to set light poles and hook up lights along the Open Road Toll (ORT) or high-speed lanes prior to opening them up for traffic. Their sub-contractor, Pike Industries, continues to place surface pavement along the northern end of the project within the ORT lanes as well. Many locations have been striped for the next phase’s traffic pattern. TransCore wrapped up the commissioning or testing of the high-speed lanes the first week in October. This will allow the contractor to swap the project into Phase III. The contractor anticipates that this will happen the week of October 18th. During Phase III, traffic will travel through the ORT lanes while the cash lanes are being constructed. At the same time along the southern end of the project, traffic will be shifted to the outside lanes. This provides space within the median for the barrier to be constructed. The project will stay in this phase throughout the winter. Tolls will not be collected through the ORT lanes, they will still be collected at the current York Toll Plaza.
Contractor: Reed & Reed, Inc.
Bid Amount: $ 39,484,431
Project Schedule: Completion date June 21, 2021.
Contractor Schedule: Crews continue to work on the cash lanes and toll booths outside the ORT while prep work and layout for surface paving inside the ORT lanes begins. The paving sub-contractor has been paving the widening areas in preparation for phase 3 traffic control, south of the new toll plaza. This will include traffic being shifted to the outer lanes while crews install drainage and concrete median barriers during the fall and winter months. TransCore is working on the commissioning of the newly installed ORT hardware. They have done several test runs and are currently making adjustments to improve accuracy before running additional tests.
