FORECASTER • March 9, 2021
Freeport voters have approved spending $634,000 to add bike and pedestrian paths on two Interstate 295 overpasses. The referendum Tuesday passed 801-215. As a result, when Mallett Drive and Desert Road bridges are replaced, they will have 12-foot-wide multi-use paths with 32-inch-tall barriers. The Maine Department of Transportation has deemed both bridges structurally deficient and the state will cover roughly $15 million needed to replace the bridges. The current bridges are 60 years old. The replacements are expected to last longer. Freeport taxpayers will fund the multi-use paths, which will be paid for through a 10-year bond.