FAIRFIELD — State police conducted rolling roadblocks Friday on Interstate 95 through the Fairfield area after potholes opened up on the northbound side of the highway, damaging tires and slowing traffic to 45 mph.

Maine Department of Transportation spokesman Ted Talbot said potholes began appearing just after 8:30 a.m. Friday in heavy rain. Talbot said there was tire damage to multiple vehicles. No injuries were reported.

He said northbound traffic was stopped by state police troopers for 10-15 minutes at a time so highway crews could work on repaving the potholes. The rolling roadblocks were expected to continue through the night, Talbot said.

He said there is a paving project under way around the area of the Clinton A. Clauson Memorial Bridge over the Kennebec River in Fairfield. Talbot said it will be a couple of weeks before final paving on the project is completed. The original bridge project began in 2012.

Motorists wanting to use the ramp on upper Main Street in Fairfield to go north on Interstate 95 had to take alternative routes through Clinton, Newport or Western Avenue in Fairfield for about two years during initial construction.

As for Friday’s potholes, Talbot said patching work will continue into the night.

“In the meantime we’re keeping up with these potholes,” Talbot said. “We did this a couple of weeks ago. They reappeared overnight with the heavy rain. In fact they were a little larger than they were the previous time.”

Talbot said DOT crews got out to that section of the Interstate as soon as they could Friday morning, but there was heavy traffic during the morning rush.

“When it is still raining, there’s not a whole lot you can do, because, of course, it just continues to fill up and wash out,” he said. “We’re going to be having these rolling roadblocks again starting at 9 o’clock tonight to put in a bit more of a permanent fix.”

The highway remains open to all traffic.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

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