BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Drivers coming and going from the Bangor International Airport have had to drive through construction during their commute for most of the summer months. That will hopefully all be over soon though.
Construction on Bangor's newest roundabout started in June at the intersection of Godfrey Boulevard and Maine Avenue. According to the Director of Public Safety for Bangor, Art Morgan, the old traffic light at that intersection needed to be replaced and the option of building a roundabout was both the cheapest and safest alternative. "We've been able to design it and build it under budget and we're looking forward to the public being able to access Bangor International Airport through this new intersection," says Morgan.
Roundabouts are commonly mistaken as rotaries. The difference is that roundabouts are much smaller, and traffic has to yield instead of stop before entering the traffic circle. Which Senior Designer for the Maine Department of Transportation, Atlee Mousseau, says makes them a safer alternative. "The reason that we build more of them is because they've been proven to work, and they're safer and more efficient," says Mousseau.
The town of Howland is also constructing a roundabout this year, and bids are currently open for the construction of one in Orono that will be built next year. The roundabout at the intersection of Godfrey Boulevard and Maine Avenue was originally scheduled to be completed by tomorrow, but is now expected to be finished by mid-September.
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