SKOWHEGAN — Driving through Skowhegan is about to get a whole lot smoother.

The state Department of Transportation plans to put down some fresh pavement on two major thoroughfares in two multimillion-dollar projects planned to begin this summer.

“We’ll be so happy to get this done,” said Skowhegan Road Commissioner Jason Finley, who has been among town officials that urged DOT to prioritize the projects.

Madison Avenue, which is a portion of U.S. Route 201, is set to get a “mill and fill” on the 1 3/4-mile stretch from the intersection with High Street, near downtown, to the Madison town line, according to Maine DOT spokesperson Andrew Gobeil.

Mill and fill is a process that scrapes off the top layer of asphalt and replaces it with new asphalt.

The road, which has been deteriorating in recent years to the frustration of motorists and town officials, is Skowhegan’s main business corridor, with numerous banks, fast food joints, car dealerships, motels and other businesses extending north from downtown. It is also frequently used by heavy logging trucks and other large commercial vehicles.

The Madison Avenue project will also include a quarter-mile stretch of road formally known as U.S. Route 201A that carries traffic on and over the island downtown via the Margaret Chase Smith Bridges, Gobeil said in an email.

Gordon Construction, of Sangerville, was awarded the contract for the project for $7 million.

In the other project, the nearly 7-mile section of U.S. Route 2 from the intersection of Route 150 to the Canaan town line is set to get 1 1/2-inch pavement overlay, Gobeil said. That stretch is known locally as the Canaan Road and includes a portion of Water Street.

Pike Industries, of Fairfield, was awarded the $6.5 million contract for that project.

Both the Madison Avenue and U.S. Route 2 projects are expected to begin within the next few weeks and be completed by July 31, 2026, according to Maine DOT.

Work will be put on hold during the Skowhegan State Fair, which runs Aug. 6-17, Gobeil said.

The fairgrounds are off Madison Avenue, and traffic is known to sometimes back up on the road ahead of major events at the fair as vehicles queue up to turn on to Constitution Avenue to access the main gate.

“The agreement with the contractor requires they cease all operations and have all lanes open to traffic and in safe operating condition” during the fair, Gobeil wrote in an email.

The same conditions were put in place Aug. 1-4 to accommodate Main Street Skowhegan’s annual River Fest event, Gobeil said, though the local economic development nonprofit decided this year to hold several “River Days” events throughout the summer instead of the one-weekend festival. The River Days schedule does not include any events that weekend.

Both highways set to be paved last got “light capital paving” two years ago, Gobeil said. That work consisted of a 5/8-inch overlay “to maintain the road until more substantial enhancements occur.”

Finley, the town road commissioner, said local officials have been pushing DOT for years to fix Madison Avenue. Even getting the state to do the overlay, a temporary fix, was not easy, according to Finley.

“It’s been a struggle,” he said. “Finally, we’re so happy to get it fixed.”

The town is responsible for the maintenance of the road, which Finley called “a thorn in our side.”

In recent winters, town highway department crews have spent two days a week filling potholes with cold patch, Finley said. This past winter, his department used four truckloads of patch material on Madison Avenue alone.

“There will be, considerably, a savings next year on that that we’ll be able to put into other areas in this town that are much needed,” Finley said.

In addition to the state highway projects, several town roads will also be paved this year.

At the annual town meeting in June, voters approved raising approximately $1.28 million for the town’s 2025 roads and sidewalks plan, of which about $1.22 million was designated for paving.

Budget documents identify the roads set to be paved as St. James Street, Chestnut Street, St. John Street, Merrill Street, Maple Street, Lawton Street, Leavitt Street, York Street, Alder Street, Bridge Street, Pennell Street, Turner Avenue, Main Street, Heather Drive, Prescelly Drive, a portion of Back Road and a portion of Burrill Hill Road.

In April, the select board awarded the bid to Roundy’s Paving, of Newport, which was the lowest of three bidders.