The Maine Department of Transportation is advising drivers on Interstate 295 in Freeport and Interstate 95 in Portland of some work that may shut down part or all of the highway during the summer.

The department is replacing the bridges crossing the highway at exits 20 (Desert Road) and 22 (Mallett Drive). The work will lead to full closures of the interstate for no more than 25 minutes at a time between 1 and 5 a.m., along with single lane closures at night. The release also indicated exit ramps may be closed between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Both bridges were built in 1957, and new versions will include a 10-foot-wide path, along with traffic signals on the northbound and southbound interstate ramps. The $25.7 million project is being paid for by the federal grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Competitive Highway Bridge Program. 

The department said the projects began earlier this year and are expected to be finished by the end of 2025.

On Interstate 95 in Portland, the department will be closing the southbound offramp at exit 46 (Jetport), staring at midnight on Monday, July 11 and lasting through midnight on Saturday, July 16. The department will be rebuilding the offramp, including new drainage. Drivers are asked to use exit 45 in South Portland (Maine Mall Road) as a detour.

The department also announced it was closing the northbound offramp to exit 47 on Interstate 95 from July 18 through 21, so workers can add a third travel lane in both directions on the highway from mile 46 to 49