Traffic detours likely during presidential visit to Guilford Friday

Motorists in the Guilford area will have to be aware of some changes in the traffic pattern Friday when President Donald Trump visits the Puritan Medical Products facility.

Puritan, which has more than 300 employees in Guilford, is one of the world’s two largest manufacturers of the medical swabs being used to test people for the coronavirus that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another factory is under construction in Pittsfield to expand swab production as the result of a $75.5 million contract awarded to Puritan under the federal Defense Production Act.

According to White House officials, Trump is set to arrive at the Bangor International Airport at 1:50 p.m. for a meeting with commercial fisheries stakeholders. That is expected to take about half an hour. After the meeting, Trump is expected to fly to Guilford via helicopter. It is unclear exactly how long he will be at the Puritan facility, but he is expected to fly out of Bangor at 5:30 p.m.

“As far as we know at this point in time, Elm Street, which is routes 6, 15 and 16 heading north, is supposed to be remaining open, but again there’s nothing that we can say really definitively,” a dispatcher with the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office said.

The dispatcher said main streets near the downtown area, including Water Street, would be closed during Trump’s visit.