SCARBOROUGH — Construction work at the heavily traveled intersection of Haigis Parkway and Route 1 in Scarborough is causing traffic delays during the morning commute.

One northbound lane of Route 1 is being closed during hours when workers are installing new utility poles, causing backups extending at least one-quarter mile to the marsh. The lane reopens when work ends in the afternoon, so the evening commute hasn’t been affected.

This phase of the project is expected to last until the end of the month. Workers are installing new utility poles, transferring the wires and removing the old poles along a 600-foot stretch of Route 1.

Michael Shaw, director of the town’s public works department, said Tuesday that the lane closure is necessary.

“In order for these folks to do the work, they need to have their equipment in that one lane,” Shaw said. “Obviously, we are monitoring (the traffic flow). When the motoring public calls, we certainly go out and assess it.”

A police dispatcher said Tuesday that the department received a few calls last week from motorists complaining about the delay.

The next phase of work at the intersection will begin in March and last through August. Work crews are scheduled to widen the road, make storm drain improvements, and build islands and new sidewalks.

The expanded intersection will have new left- and right-turn lanes, according to town planner Dan Bacon.

“The intersection has some existing problems,” Bacon said. “These improvement will fix the deficiencies.”

The changes should also encourage people traveling through Scarborough to use Route 1 and the Haigis Parkway, instead of heavily traveled Payne Road.

The work is being done in conjunction with future transportation improvements planned for Dunstan Corner, where Route 1, Pine Point Road and Broadturn Road intersect.

The Department of Transportation is now doing preliminary design and engineering work for that project, which is expected to begin in 2012.

Bacon said the road improvements are being made to encourage commercial development on Haigis Parkway.

“The town is being proactive in making the improvements now, therefore new development won’t be tasked with upgrading the intersections on a piecemeal basis,” Bacon said. “We want to eliminate the barrier to new development and fix the intersection so it facilitates new development in the future.”

 

Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at: mcreamer@pressherald.com

 

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