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Maine DOT opens on-demand comment period for Caribou bridge project; five-month full closure anticipated
Summary
City planning staff told the Caribou Planning Board that Maine DOT will run an on-demand public comment period for the Caribou bridge project and currently anticipates a roughly five-month full closure with an approximate 22-mile detour; a project manager contact and QR code will be publicized.
The Caribou Planning Board heard an update on a Maine Department of Transportation bridge project that will require significant local disruption and an online public comment period.
Speaker 3 told the board that DOT has updated its project QR code so it links directly to the Caribou bridge project page rather than a statewide project landing page. The online "on-demand" comment period, Speaker 3 said, will run "from Thursday next week, the seventeenth, through January 9," and will include maps, schedules, presentation materials and an online survey. The project manager listed on DOT materials is Mark Parlin; the city will include Parlins contact information on mailers and its website so residents can direct questions to DOT.
Speaker 3 said DOT currently anticipates a full closure lasting about five months and described an approximately 22-mile detour routing through Fort Fairfield or Caribou. City staff told the board they will produce mailings, post on social media and host a dedicated landing page on the city website to help residents access the story map and submit comments.
Board members discussed whether the city should hold an in-person meeting and whether local elected representatives could influence DOT scheduling or decisions. Speaker 3 said DOT is considering one in-person meeting in 2026 but had not committed to a date; staff will continue efforts to request DOT appear in Augusta for a face-to-face session if sufficient local feedback is received.
The board asked staff to distribute the DOT link and encourage residents to review the materials and submit comments. Speaker 3 also emphasized the city will track potential financial impact and coordinate outreach so affected residents understand the proposed five-month closure and detour implications.
The planning board did not take a formal vote on the project at this meeting; staff will update the board as DOT provides additional information.
