OGUNQUIT — After six years of planning, construction to renovate a two-mile stretch of Route 1 in Ogunquit will commence on March 2.

When completed by December of 2016, the two-year project is expected to cost $15.6 million with the town of Ogunquit covering $1.8 million for sidewalk construction and beautification of the downtown.

Maine Department of Transportation recently awarded a $13.3 million contract to low bidder Grondin Construction in Gorham with the stipulation that the company provide minimal disruption during the summer and offering a special incentive to Grondin if they finish the project early.

“This is a very busy corridor in the state of Maine and there is a good deal of infrastructure work needed, including two bridges. If it was easy, it would have been done 20 years ago,” said Ernie Martin, senior project manager at the Maine DOT.

According to Martin, Ogunquit’s 3,500 population swells to more than 35,000 during the summer. To minimize the impact on local businesses and summer tourism, the construction will stop during the peak season.

“The project has proved challenging because it covers the entire road from one end of Ogunquit to the other and there are minimal detour options for traffic,” he said.

Listening to the concerns of businesses and the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce, Maine DOT agreed to condense the three-year project into two years and to suspend work from June 20 ”“ Sept. 7, 2015 and from June 18 ”“ Sept. 5, 2016.

“This is by far the most congested highway I’ve managed and we worked hard with stakeholders to take the prime construction months out of the picture because we understand the travel issues in Ogunquit,” Martin said.

One of the first priorities of the project calls for replacing 3,700 feet of drainage outfall that runs from Route 1 down three major side streets: Kingfield Avenue, Grasshopper Land and Beach Street.

“The outfall work must be completed by June 16,” Martin said, when highway reconstruction work will go on hold for 11 weeks.

However, Martin stressed construction on Ogunquit’s two bridges will continue throughout the summer.

“Temporary bridges will keep traffic moving on Donnells Bridge, which spans the Ogunquit River on the Wells town line, and Phillips Bridge, which crosses the Josias River near the Ogunquit Playhouse,” said Martin.

“The DOT has worked very closely with us to communicate effectively to the public during the project. They have created a website, Facebook page and email notification service to ensure transparency and proactive communication with the public is happening,” said Fortier.

“The delays in summer are going to be minimal, thanks to the compromise we’ve made with the town. We’ve been working hand-in-hand with the Chamber of Commerce and the business community to keep everyone updated and we know everyone’s going to be pleased when we’re done,” said Meg Lane, Maine DOT spokesperson.

Ogunquit residents and frequent travelers of Route 1 are encouraged to visit MaineDOT.gov to sign up for email alerts and weekly updates.

“It’s exciting to know that the project is finally underway. This is a tremendous investment in our community that will benefit us for many years to come,” said Fortier.

— Tracey Collins can be reached at [email protected]