Roux Institute Campus Development | Portland

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In today's Portland Press Herald and I'm guessing that City Council approval will be the final step.
 
If it were even feasible, Portland could build a tunnel under back cove (removing Tukey's bridge entirely and burying a part of the I:295 corridor) that extends to North Deering up to where Rt 1 and I:295 split.

But engineering cost, plus flooding, plus plus plus ...
 
There have been some interesting, albeit quiet, conversations at MaineDOT recently about removing I-295 from the Interstate system and making it a slower, cheaper-to-maintain surface street, kind of like Memorial Drive in Cambridge.

Right now, most of I-295's infrastructure is nearing the end of its design life, which means that it's becoming a massive financial liability. The state is spending over $100 million in the next 3 years just to keep old bridges from falling down (see https://www.maine.gov/mdot/projects/workplan/docs/2023/WORK PLAN FINAL 2023_2024_2025-3.pdf)

It was also built before modern interstate highway design standards existed, which means that any major changes to bring it up to those standards are, on a practical basis, basically impossible (this is why Roux's requests for a designated off-ramp are a non-starter – Tukey's Bridge is already the highest-crash location in the city because it violates so many design standards).

And in Portland, several key I-295 interchanges are going to be inundated by high tides several times a month by 2050.

It's a highway with no future.
 
Why has no one utilized the rail corridor/rail bed? aka grand trunk-Maine State Owned. If rail is never to come back use it for a dedicated bus route directly to Roux? . Hartford uses one from Farmington CT, even though no one goes to Hartford.
 
Tukey's Bridge is a vast improvement over the way it was 1974-1987, when the original I-295 project took the path of least resistance to reuse it and the original Charles Loring Highway (essentially, both parts of Exit 9 in East Deering, from the end of the Boulevard to the recently-reconstructed interchange with Veranda St.) Both Washington Ave. exits were on the left, so traffic from Washington on either side that wanted to exit on Washington on the other would merge in on the right and then have to cut across the high-speed traffic to get to the left-hand exit on the opposite end (visible in the 1986 view in Historic Aerials). Part of the reconstruction was adding the additional lane on each side and reconfiguring the exits to be off on the right, so Washington traffic could stick to its own lane. It also is (or at least the last I knew it was) the highest-traffic piece of road in the state.
 
PWMFlyer said:
Why has no one utilized the rail corridor/rail bed? aka grand trunk-Maine State Owned. If rail is never to come back use it for a dedicated bus route directly to Roux? . Hartford uses one from Farmington CT, even though no one goes to Hartford.
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It actually does have some very limited use: the marina uses it to carry boats to and from their storage facility further up Presumpscot St. There have also been rail advocates who have pushed to restore the bridge for a commuter line from Lewiston to Portland. And if you did turn it into a bus route... from where? Rebuild the trestle as a bus bridge to downtown? Or find someplace on Presumpscot to put a shuttle lot? Once you get past the end of Presumpscot you're into Falmouth and meeting the folks who were pushing for the line to be reactivated and turned into a trail.

Honestly, I think their best bet would be on the east side: water-based transit. Connections to Mavodones Landing and Ferry Village could be easy.
 
The most surprising part to me is the bike/pedestrian bridge on the Roux side of 295 - I was only expecting the path under 295 on the north side (which still seems to be in the plans).
 
Looks like construction equipment is moving into the site.

During their Public Hearing the Roux team stated that their intention was to break ground in early September. Seems like they’re on course to meet at target.
 
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Start of Site Work​

What to Expect: Starting today, August 14th, you may notice vegetative clearing and erosion control measures taking place on site. Trailers will be installed for use as office space for the duration of construction. Later in the month, utility work and excavation for site grading will begin.
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Yep, looks like things are starting up! Should be an interesting couple of years.
 
They’ve got to be open for the fall semester of 27 so at least there’s some sort of deadline!! Can’t wait. What a step forward for the entire region.
 
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