Busy Woodfords Corner in Portland will be closed next weekend

One of Portland’s busiest intersections, Woodfords Corner, will be closed to traffic next weekend to allow for rebuilding railroad crossings.

Motorists are warned to avoid the area because of anticipated backups along the detour route.

Pan Am Railways will be rebuilding the crossing at Forest Avenue between Concord Street and Ocean Avenue, as well as rebuilding the crossing on Saunders Street.

The work will require closing Forest Avenue around Woodfords Corner beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7, and continuing until about 3 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 10. Crews will be working day and night to complete the work before the Monday morning commute, the Maine Department of Transportation said.

The disruption is coming on the heels of repaving work at the same intersection, part of a larger reconstruction project there. The DOT said the railroad upgrades are part of the safety improvements associated with that reconstruction project.

Southbound traffic on Forest Avenue will be detoured south onto Stevens Avenue to Woodford Street, then eastbound on Woodford Street back to Forest Avenue. Northbound traffic on Forest Avenue will be detoured west on Woodford Street to Stevens Avenue, then north on Stevens Avenue back to Forest Avenue. Because of the heavy traffic anticipated during the detour, motorists planning on passing through this location are encouraged to find alternate routes.

Businesses on Forest Avenue will remain open and may be accessed from Forest Avenue.

For updated information about this project, go to mainedot.gov and sign up for email alerts.