Rt.9/I395 Connector Construction Planned In September

The Maine Department of Transportation released it's 2021 edition of the list of projects coming in the next three years including new information on the I-395/Route 9 Connector project.

New construction is planned for September 2021 to include the following from their yearly report:

Beginning 0.25 of a mile west of Interstate 395 and
Route 1A, roughly paralleling the Brewer-Holden
town line, extending 6.00 miles to Route 9 west of
Chemo Pond Road (in the vicinity of Lois Lane).

The project will be connecting the end of I-395 at Wilson Street in Brewer to Route 9 in Eddington, which includes constructing road through woods and existing housing areas throughout the surrounding towns of Brewer, Holden and Eddington.

The project has been described as 'the missing link' that connects I-95 to Route 2 to help ease East/West traffic flow on roads in the area that see a lot of traffic in residential areas along Route 1A.  This project will create a direct traffic flow to Eastern Maine and Canada.

In August, the Maine Department of Transportation began working on bridge work in Brewer as the first phase of the connector project.  This work was to replace the Wilson Street Bridge which carries Route 1A over I-395.  At that time, phase I of the project was projected to end in November of this year.

The project has been controversial since its beginnings including local support due to location of the completed work and budget concerns.

According to the Maine Department of Transportation webpage dedicated to the I-395/Route 9 Connector Project, the project is meant to relieve local travel safety and mobility issues by providing a connection between the Interstate system and Route 9, which stretches across the eastern part of Maine and into Canada.

See the latest on the project by visiting the project page on the Maine Department of Transportation website.