BAR HARBOR — There were no ribbons cut and no fanfare, but the Ledgelawn Avenue detour that has been ongoing for months is officially over according to Bar Harbor Public Works Director Bethany Leavitt, and for many downtown residents that might be a cause for celebration.
“The Main Street Sewer, Water, and Stormwater Improvement project reached a significant milestone on August 1 with the completion of the water main installation below Cromwell Harbor Bridge,” Leavitt wrote in a news flash on the town’s website.
Pedestrian safety has come to the front at multiple town and school meetings in May and was discussed on social media by residents multiple times.
In May, the Bar Harbor Town Council listened to a report specifically about traffic calming on Ledgelawn Avenue, which is a residential road that runs from Mount Desert Street to Cromwell Harbor Road. Due to multiple detours because of construction on lower Main Street for the town’s public works infrastructure upgrades, and at upper School Street where the Jesup Memorial Library is expanding, there has been an increase in traffic on the avenue.
Conners Emerson School Committee Vice Chair Marie Yarborough said that the police counted 59,000 vehicles traveling on the road during just one month this winter. There haven’t been updated counts released this spring.
Between January and May, Police Captain Chris Wharff said that the police have stopped 150 vehicles for violations on just Ledgelawn Ave and Cromwell Harbor Road, the detour route to the Jackson Laboratories (JAX) and further toward Otter Creek and Mount Desert.
“The vast majority of issues are traffic volume issues and stop sign issues,” Wharff said.
The project is not quite over.
“The remaining work will be in and alongside the east and west shoulders of Main Street, allowing for alternating one-way traffic to flow through the construction site, effective August 1. The remainder of the work this year entails installation of stormwater, curb and sidewalk, streetscape, placing binder pavement, and loam and seed,” Leavitt said.
“The project team believes the remaining work can now be done safely and effectively without the assistance of the Ledgelawn Avenue traffic detour. All signage associated with the Ledgelawn Avenue detour will be removed on Friday, August 2, 2024,” she said. “While we are able to remove the detour at this time, some remaining work will result in additional temporary impacts for access to some side streets.”
Leavitt added, “Due to the Ledgelawn Avenue detour, this project progressed quickly while maintaining quality work and producing a high quality end product that should last for many generations to come. This result is directly attributed to the patience and cooperation of the residents, businesses, property owners, and visitors alike.”
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