Portsmouth's Bridge Into Maine To Undergo Repair

PORTSMOUTH, NH — The Piscataqua River Bridge, which connects Portsmouth to Kittery, Maine, will be undergoing construction for the next two years. As part of the project, the area of Exit 1 on Interstate 95 in Maine will be closed to traffic, and some lane closures will be in effect on the bridge. The closures will accommodate work on the bridge, which will be under construction through summer 2022, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.

Starting Tuesday, the Exit 1 on-ramp at Dennett Road in Kittery will be closed to traffic indefinitely. On the bridge, lane closures will be in effect for southbound lanes from 7 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Monday through Friday starting this week. Drivers may also expect traffic to be restricted to two lanes on the bridge by 7 p.m., and by 10 p.m. traffic could be restricted to just one lane, transportation officials say.

During this time, the contractor on the job will be re-stripping lanes from Exit 2 in Maine and across the bridge to the New Hampshire side. Crews will also be installing temporary concrete barriers to close the shoulder on the Maine approach to the bridge.

The goal of the Piscataqua River Bridge project is to keep the longevity of the structure and to prepare it for and Intelligent Transportation System project, which will allow a fourth lane opening on the bridge during peak travel periods, according to Maine Department of Transportation.

Transportation departments of New Hampshire and Maine are managing the project. The bridge is expected to be under construction through summer of 2022. The tentative completion date is May 2022.