Right Now Route 69 Between Hampden and Newburgh is a Total Nightmare

Hope for the best, expect the worst.

A lot of Mainers joke that road construction is a season. Much like black fly, tick, and mosquito season. It's pretty much truly as annoying as all those things. Well, there is one crucial difference... We actually need the roads. We don't specifically need all those other things. But roads, sadly we can't live without those.

But it doesn't change the fact that often, we find ourselves being stuck in an awful place, usually in extreme heat, and always when we're in a hurry. Got a car full of loud, obnoxious kids? Let's add road work! Need to be at your doctor's office in five minutes, and you've been sitting for ten? Hooray for road construction!

Right now, Route 69 between Hampden and Newburgh makes me want to scream.

I was headed out yesterday, and I am completely aware of the temporary traffic light on Rt. 69 because they're building a new bridge. But somehow, someone decided that just wasn't enough, so as I passed through that light, I went about another 500 feet and guess what I ran into? Another traffic light at a different spot with construction.

But hey... we're not done yet! By the time I reached the intersection of Rt. 69 and Rt. 202, there was MORE road work being done. So in the 2 mile stretch between Meadow Road and Rt. 202, there were 3, yes...3, different areas of work being done. On the same frikkin' road.

How does this happen?

Who decided this was a way to keep the morning commute going? This stretch of road is the lifeline for a lot of Hampden, Newburgh, Winterport, and beyond, to reach the highway. What normally takes less than five minutes to travel, took me almost fifteen yesterday with all the stops.

This is all on top of the fact that Rt. 69 is one of the most horrible roads in this area, pothole-wise. It's like driving on Swiss cheese that will eat your tires. So this just feels like a really low blow to the locals. So if this is the road you use, find another way. Because this is an absolute nightmare.

START PALNNING YOUR ESCAPE FROM TRAFFIC WITH ONE OF THESE AWESOME MAINE HIKES...