A portion of Maine Avenue will be closed on Saturday, July 15th, between the round-abouts located at Godfrey Blvd. and Vermont Avenue, starting at approximately 4 am. The road closure is required as part of a DOT test of the fuel pipeline at Bangor International Airport.
Passengers that utilize Maine Avenue to access Bangor International Airport should plan to use Union Street and Godfrey Blvd to access the terminal. Residents and others needing to access businesses and Public Works along that section of Maine Avenue can find alternate routes on the below map:
The airport is required by the U.S. Department of Transportation to periodically test the pressure on the fuel pipeline that runs under Maine Avenue. This process will take a minimum nine hours to complete. As part of the safety requirements for this test, we are required to close the road. Alternative routes to access businesses have been identified in conjunction with the businesses and can be obtained at the websites identified above.
The pipeline being tested was built in the 1950’s and has been in use since that time to supply fuel to the airport for aircraft fueling. While the pipeline is tested at lower pressures, periodically we are required by DOT to test it at higher pressures to ensure the safety and integrity of the pipeline. The requirements of this periodic test require us to close Maine Avenue.
Airport Director, Tony Caruso commented, “We are very sorry for any inconvenience that this closure has caused to passengers, residents and businesses, but it is necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens. We are grateful for everyone’s patience and cooperation throughout this test and we are hopeful that Maine Avenue will be open by late Saturday afternoon.”
Further, Director Caruso advises that “For passengers traveling from BGR, please remember that summer is a very busy time for travel and passengers should allow two hours to check-in, go through security, and arrive at their gate. Please leave yourselves plenty of time. “