Bar Harbor Route 3 Northbound Detour Begins Monday

The Maine Department of Transportation began work on the Bar Harbor Route 3 reconstruction project back in January, but now the real fun starts.

MDOT has announced that effective this coming Monday, May 1st, northbound traffic between Crooked Road and Sand Point Road will be detoured onto the Crooked Road. Those traveling south will be reduced to one lane.

Signage will be displayed to guide drivers along, and all access to businesses and homes will remain open.

Detours have been planned to occur throughout the two and a half year, $17.9 million project, that spans from a point 0.57 miles west of Sand Point Road to the intersection of Route 3/Eden Street and Route 233 in Bar Harbor.  These detours will allow those traveling on Route 3 into Bar Harbor to continue through the construction zone, while those traveling north out of town to use the detours.

Work will continue until the project is completed sometime during the spring of 2019.

When the project is completed, some of the benefits will include:

• Paved shoulders for bicyclists and pedestrians
• Some new sidewalks, and sidewalk improvements to meet ADA standards
• Safer crossings, with electronic crossing signs
• New multi-use path along part of the project span
• Where possible, 3-foot wide esplanade between sidewalk/multi-use path and the road
• New bus turnouts
• New rock catchment area along the bluffs
• Upgraded intersection of Mt Desert St. and West St.
• Improved drainage and runoff management
• New road surface and striping

Monitor the status of the Bar Harbor Route 3 reconstruction process at the MDOT website, where you can also sign up for email alerts.