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2020.05 ORT Equipment Updates-West Gardiner & New Gloucester

Construction Contract Info
Contractor: Scott Construction Corporation
Bid Amount:  $928,208.00
Projected Completion Date:  April 16, 2021

 
West Gardiner Open Road Toll Plaza

West Gardiner Open Road Tolling Plaza (2018)
 

Project Scope: In New Gloucester, the works consists of removing the top three inches of the concrete slab in the Open Road Tolling (ORT) lanes and replacing it with a three inch concrete wearing surface. The work also includes installation of sensors into the new concrete wearing surface, relocating existing ORT toll equipment, installation of new toll equipment on the existing spaceframes, and replacing signals in the cash lanes. In West Gardiner, the work consisted of relocating existing ORT toll equipment, installing new toll equipment on the existing spaceframes and replacing signals in the cash lanes.
 

**Update on New Gloucester ORT Lanes**
March 30, 2021

The E-ZPASS lanes at the New Gloucester Toll Plaza have been reopened. In September the lanes were closed so that new tolling equipment could be installed. Scott Construction worked throughout the fall to remove the old toll system equipment in the concrete and then place the new improved toll system. That work was completed in mid-December. TransCore, the toll equipment contractor, then tested the new equipment. This work was often done off site. At the same time there was still line striping that had to be done to open the lanes. All the testing and line striping is complete.
 
Thank you for your patience during this project.
 
Travel safely!!

 

**Update on New Gloucester ORT Lanes**
March 29, 2021

The high speed toll lanes are planned to be open for the morning commute on March 30th. Thank you for your patience.
 

**Update on New Gloucester ORT Lanes**
February 23, 2021

The lanes are still being tested for accuracy (see the January update for information about how the equipment works). This work is done remotely so it may not look like much is happening in the lanes but there is still a lot of fine tuning being done. Recently a fleet of MTA snowplows tested the new equipment by driving repeatedly through the lanes (when there was a break in the snow). Occasionally you may see vehicles driving through to test the equipment.

Once the testing is complete all the work will be done, except for the lane striping, which is weather dependent. We cannot stripe lanes in cold, wet or snowy weather. We hope that there will be a time in March when we can do the striping. We cannot open the lanes without the striping for safety reasons. We hope to open the plaza in March. Thank you for your patience.

 

** Update on New Gloucester ORT Lanes** January 13, 2021

Maine Turnpike’s New Gloucester Toll Plaza was the first Open Road Toll (ORT) plaza on the Turnpike.   Its highway speed tolling lanes opened to traffic on April 1, 2013.   There are several sensory systems as part of the toll collection equipment at the plaza. 
 
Many of these systems are embedded in concrete pads in the highway under the gantries. The life of this equipment is defined by the concrete pad’s ability to avoid deterioration and water penetration.  Once moisture attacks the loops, they will corrode and start to fail.
 
The New Gloucester ORT Plaza was constructed with highly durable, carefully grouted concrete that has lasted seven years.  However, moisture made its way through the concrete and the equipment started to corrode and fail.
 
Starting in mid-2020, Scott Construction was hired to remove the pads, set new loops, pour pads and apply a new and improved epoxy wearing surface.  The work also included some adjacent paving. This work was completed in the Fall of 2020.
 
In late December 2020, the toll equipment contractor, TransCore, started testing the new loop sensors with highway speed test traffic to make sure that they classify vehicles with 99% reliability, as MTA requires. Much of this work is done behind the scenes and therefore leaves the lanes looking as if no work is happening even though there is plenty of fine tuning going on.
 
Once the testing is complete, likely in February 2021, all the work will be complete except for the lane striping, which is weather dependent as  it cannot be done in wet or cold weather. MTA may be able to do it during a break in winter weather if temperatures allow. The lane striping must occur before we can safely reopen the lanes. We hope to open the plaza in March.


 

January 2021 Update

December 2020 Update

October 2020 Update

September 2020 Update

July 2020 Update

June 2020 Update

May 2020 Update