Construction on Phase II of the Presque Isle bypass, one of Maine’s most expensive road projects, is expected to begin this spring, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Transportation told the Bangor Daily News.
It’s more than six years after the Maine DOT had initially anticipated breaking ground on the 6.17-mile project, which officials have estimated to cost upwards of $84.3 million.
When completed, the highway will connect U.S. Route 1 near the Westfield town line to Phase I of the bypass at Conant Road in Presque Isle.
Phase I, which opened in 2019, is the middle section of a three-phase bypass project proposed in the Aroostook County Transportation Study that began in 1999.
Documents published by the DOT list a completion date of July 20, 2029, for Phase II.
The highway is intended to reroute commercial traffic around downtown Presque Isle to reduce travel times and improve safety in the city center.
The DOT originally expected to solicit bids for Phase II in 2018 and begin construction after the completion of the first phase, but the project was substantially delayed. It was finally advertised on Nov. 26, 2025, and bids closed Wednesday.
The Orono-based Sargent Corporation submitted the sole bid for the project, totaling just under $78 million, according to a bid tabulation sheet published on the Maine DOT website. The DOT has 30 days to determine whether to award the bid, Director of Public Information Andrew Gobeil said.
A potential Phase III of the bypass is still up in the air. The proposed northernmost segment of the project would connect Phase I with Route 1 north of Presque Isle. It would extend from the Fort Fairfield Road and require a bridge to be constructed to cross the Aroostook River. Only the first two phases have currently been funded.
Former Maine DOT Communications Director Paul Merrill told the Bangor Daily News in 2024 that the section was “unlikely” to happen, but the department’s current spokesperson did not go that far.
“We will assess next steps once segment one is complete and we can evaluate its effectiveness,” Gobeil said.
