
The ongoing project to replace the Western Avenue Bridge in Augusta, shown in August 2024, reaches another milestone this weekend, as traffic shifts to a temporary bridge. Motorists will no longer be able to turn left onto Whitten Road, instead taking a detour over the Interstate 95 on-ramp. A new, permanent bridge is expected by the end of the year. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal file
AUGUSTA — Starting this weekend, Western Avenue traffic will shift to a new, temporary bridge over Interstate 95, cutting down on the lanes available for drivers.
With the shift, which is expected by Sunday, westbound drivers will no longer be able to turn left from Western Avenue onto Whitten Road, the location of several businesses that include a Hannaford supermarket.

To get onto Whitten Road, motorists going west on Western Avenue will have to turn onto the southbound I-95 on-ramp. Instead of continuing onto the interstate, they’ll use a temporary access road, much of which still remains in place from a previous bridge construction project, to get onto Whitten Road, just beyond the Maine Evergreen hotel.
From there drivers can backtrack to the shopping area near the intersection of Whitten Road and Western Avenue.
Paul Merrill, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said the department has provided information to businesses in the area to prepare them for the changes.
“It’s impossible to avoid impacts during infrastructure projects of this magnitude,” Merrill said Friday. “The replacement bridge will better serve the area by enhancing safety and reliability. There will also be improved pedestrian connections. We hope those impacted, whether they be commuters or nearby businesses, understand the short-term headaches are worth the long-term benefits.”
The switchover to the new, narrower temporary bridge means there will be only one through lane in each direction on Western Avenue as it crosses over I-95. A third lane on the westbound side of the bridge will carry traffic onto the I-95 Exit 109 on-ramp to go either onto the interstate or to the new Whitten Road detour route. On the eastbound side of the bridge, the lane will accommodate westbound traffic heading for the Exit 109B off-ramp.
Officials expect to move westbound traffic onto the temporary bridge by Sunday. That move includes closing the left-turn lane from Western Avenue onto Whitten Road.
Eastbound Western Avenue traffic will continue to use the existing bridge for several days, until the new bridge has been striped with lane lines.

Rust and cracked concrete are seen in August 2023 on the Western Avenue bridge over Interstate 95 in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Exit 109B, from I-95 southbound, which has been closed for the construction, is expected to reopen when all traffic has shifted to the temporary bridge. Officials expect that changeover of all traffic to the temporary bridge by Wednesday.
Traffic coming out of Whitten Road onto Western Avenue will still be able to go east or west, Merrill said.
Officials said there will be flaggers and police at the site to assist with traffic control during the transitions. They urged drivers to be careful and patient during the changes. And they warned the schedule for the work is heavily dependent on the weather.
Traffic is expected to remain on the temporary bridge until the old bridge is removed and a new, permanent bridge is finished, which is expected by the end of this year.
Western Avenue, which is also U.S. Route 202, carries about 16,960 vehicles heading eastbound and 10,970 traveling westbound each day, according to state data. Under the bridge, on I-95, data shows 20,190 vehicles travel northbound and 14,810 southbound daily. Whitten Road, near Texas Roadhouse and Hannaford, sees 4,961 vehicles daily.

Vehicles travel in August 2023 on the Western Avenue bridge over Interstate 95 in Augusta. The 70-year-old structure is being replaced because of cracked and breaking concrete, failing paint, rusting steel beams and other issues. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
The new bridge will be 16 feet above I-95, compared to the existing bridge, which is only 14 feet, 4 inches above the interstate. The 16-foot clearance will, unlike the existing bridge, meet federal standards that are meant to prevent bridges from being hit by passing vehicles. The bridge at Exit 109A had to be replaced in 2017 after it was struck by something from below.
The construction estimate for the project is $30.9 million and the contractor is Reed & Reed Inc. of Woolwich.
The existing, 70-year-old bridge has failing paint, an eroding slope, rusting steel beams, worn-out bearings and cracked and breaking concrete, officials said.
The project includes plans for wider sidewalks on both sides of the bridge and about 1,350 feet of new sidewalk along Western Avenue and Whitten Road, meant to improve pedestrian access and safety.
Work that will likely continue into 2026 includes removing the temporary bridge and roadway, removing the Whitten Road connector, putting down loam and soil and finishing sidewalks. All construction is expected to be done in June 2026.
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