Question about road work in ME

[LeftyJR]

I was on a trip to Acadia National Park about 3 weeks ago.  I took a different route in Maine each way - I took ME3 at Exit 113 (on I-95) to Ellsworth - which had no road work and no traffic.  On the way home, I too US1A from Ellsworth to Bangor (via I-395) - which had 6 miles of road work.  The question I have is this: is it typical of road work in Maine to create temporary roadways of gravel, stone, and dirt for traffic to use?  1A is a highly used roadway and we had to drive on rocks (with huge potholes) for about 3 of the 6 miles.  Here is a pic - what do you all think?



The camper in this pic was having a lot of problems...perhaps a notice of the conditions could have cleared up some of this traffic?

[SSOWorld]

Depends on the state.  Some states use flaggers (or in govermental terms "flagging operations") to control traffic, others close the road and detour it.  Maine could have done this in that area if there were plenty of alternate routes.  What they did here sounds bad for sure.

[agentsteel53]

creating a temporary dirt road is not unusual, but they tend to be in better condition than that.  that looks like a dirt road in a construction zone that I just drove ... in Mexico!

[rawmustard]

I was on a trip to Acadia National Park about 3 weeks ago.  I took a different route in Maine each way - I took ME3 at Exit 113 (on I-95) to Ellsworth - which had no road work and no traffic.  On the way home, I too US1A from Ellsworth to Bangor (via I-395) - which had 6 miles of road work.  The question I have is this: is it typical of road work in Maine to create temporary roadways of gravel, stone, and dirt for traffic to use?  1A is a highly used roadway and we had to drive on rocks (with huge potholes) for about 3 of the 6 miles.  Here is a pic - what do you all think?

It looks like a typical milling and overlay project which is after the milling but before the overlay. If it isn't that, it could be a chip and seal project, but from your description and the pic, I'm willing to bet it's the former

[Duke87]

Heh. I had the same experience of driving on dirt/gravel 1A when I want to Acadia National Park.... in 2005. Really taking their time with that repaving job, aren't they?

[akotchi]

Depends on the state.  Some states use flaggers (or in govermental terms "flagging operations") to control traffic, others close the road and detour it.  Maine could have done this in that area if there were plenty of alternate routes.  What they did here sounds bad for sure.

Some "governmental terms" include the phrase "traffic directors."

I saw something like this on a state highway in South Carolina (Hilton Head area) last summer, but for a shorter distance.  It does seem like the first half of a mill and resurface operation.

[OracleUsr]

That road drove me crazy; I took 1A from Bangor to Ellsworth at the end of June en route also to Acadia.  My parents brought up a good point that the ME DOT probably doesn't have the same window of opportunity that we in the south have and have to do their work all at once.

Last year, 1A wasn't torn up like that (it was slow enough to get to US 1 already)

[Alps]

I'll be there in a week, thanks for the warning.  If I remember this thread, I'll report back.

[cu2010]

I've seen that in NY from time to time, though usually only in major reconstruction projects.

I remember when US 11 was being reconstructed north of Potsdam about ten years ago, and they tore up six miles worth of road and completely re-built it (in many cases building new hills with large mounds of dirt).  The road was torn up all the way through the village of Potsdam..and it was even worse that the level of the road was well below the level of the curbs, forcing people to drive up large mounds of dirt and stone just to pull into their driveways! 

The temporary dirt road surface on 11 was even worse than the one in that pic...in many instances, there was absolutely no loose gravel whatsoever, just a dirt road surface filled with potholes and, in some cases, well above the level of the old road (leaving a huge cliff on both sides with only orange cones serving as guardrails)...

[LeftyJR]

I'll be there in a week, thanks for the warning.  If I remember this thread, I'll report back.

Take Route 3 through Searsport and Bucksport (Exit 113 on I-95)...same amount of time, less headaches.

[Alps]

I'll be there in a week, thanks for the warning.  If I remember this thread, I'll report back.

Take Route 3 through Searsport and Bucksport (Exit 113 on I-95)...same amount of time, less headaches.

Not if I'm trying to clinch all the 1A's south of Calais. (:

[OracleUsr]

Speaking of 1A in Bangor/Brewer, has anyone else felt like they were headed in the wrong direction when told to take US 1A South to 1 North?  I'm not sure if it's the way I-395 comes to a close, or what, but everytime it's seemed like I'm heading west instead of east.

If you take ME 3 to US 1, another stop you might consider is the town of Castine.  It's a quaint little village just southeast of Bucksport, before ME 15 splits off.

If you're headed to Calais or Lubec, by the way, ME 9 from Brewer to US 1 South (to Calais) or ME 192 South (to Machias or Lubec) is the way to go if you're returning and bypassing Acadia.

[yakra]

The OP's image looks like a typical mill & fill operation.

Speaking of 1A in Bangor/Brewer, has anyone else felt like they were headed in the wrong direction when told to take US 1A South to 1 North?  I'm not sure if it's the way I-395 comes to a close, or what, but everytime it's seemed like I'm heading west instead of east.

US1A south to 1 north, via Winterport would indeed be pretty circuitous. But is that what you meant?
1A is, overall, an east-west route. (Child of an east-west coastal US1 in the area.) The western half goes north from Stockton Springs to Bangor, the eastern half southeast from Brewer to Ellsworth, despite continuing in the US1 north corridor - and having once been US1 itself.
Portions near Bangor/Brewer *are* signed east-west - and closer to Ellsworth, there are just {1A} signs with no directional banner - I guess to avoid confusing people with "north" signage while going south & vice versa. But still - why not continue the east-west signage?

If you take ME 3 to US 1, another stop you might consider is the town of Castine.  It's a quaint little village just southeast of Bucksport, before ME 15 splits off.

No. Well, the road you take to get there, 175, splits off before 15 does, at least.

If you're headed to Calais or Lubec, by the way, ME 9 from Brewer to US 1 South (to Calais) or ME 192 South (to Machias or Lubec) is the way to go if you're returning and bypassing Acadia.

ME9 to US1 south if heading out, yes. But this also bypasses the 1A loops outside Cherryfield & in Machias.
(At that note: Steve, you must be going to Rockland too.)
But you got your directions backwards: this is for heading out, not returning. And might you be confusing 192 with 191?

[vdeane]

When I was on US 2 near the Maine/New Hampshire border last fall it was dirt (no loose gravel) in the work zone for a few miles.

[yakra]

Makes sense in the context of a temporary configuration; curves and hills are being realigned there. Widened road. Th'whole 9 yahds.
(Gotta get up there sometime & see how the new alignment & bridge over the Wild River are doing. If I can ever afford fuel for my car again mumble mumble...)

[Alps]

(At that note: Steve, you must be going to Rockland too.)

ME 90 instead.

[yakra]

I'll be there in a week, thanks for the warning.  If I remember this thread, I'll report back.

Take Route 3 through Searsport and Bucksport (Exit 113 on I-95)...same amount of time, less headaches.

Not if I'm trying to clinch all the 1A's south of Calais. (:

Ah, the above made me think you still needed to clinch the 1A in Rockland...

[Alps]

Not if I'm trying to clinch all the 1A's south of Calais. (:

Ah, the above made me think you still needed to clinch the 1A in Rockland...

OK, I'll bite - where is it?  Don't see it...

Found it.  Tiny little sucker.  I'll stick with 90.

[yakra]

Sutures elf, but you'll still be missing one! >