Katahdin Iron Works Road closures

The Atlantic Salmon Federation, in partnership with Piscataquis County, NOAA Fisheries and the Maine Department of Transportation, will be working in July and August to replace two  undersized culverts under the Katahdin Iron Works Road with new bridges to improve fish  passage, flood capacity and the integrity of the KIW Road.

Because of the construction, the road will be closed at two locations beginning on July 15. The first closure will be at the Bog Brook stream crossing, approximately a quarter mile west of Route 11 in Ebeemee Township. The second will be at the Sucker Brook crossing, about 4.5 miles west of Route 11. 

During construction the KIW Road between those two points will be closed to traffic and access to Katahdin Iron Works, Gulf Hagas, the Appalachian Mountain Club’s lodges at Little Lyford Pond and Gorman Chairback and other points along the road will only be available from Greenville via the KI Jo Mary Hedgehog gate. The road closure is expected to last about five weeks to allow time for construction of the two bridges and restoration of the road surface. 

The project is funded by grants from a NOAA Fisheries Restoring Fish Passage Through Barrier  Removal grant under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and a grant from the Maine  Department of Transportation’s Municipal Stream Crossing Upgrade Program. 

“We regret the inconvenience to the public during this project,” said Jeff Reardon, project manager for ASF, “but the work will replace two problem culverts that have caused damage to the KIW Road in recent floods and restore fish passage for Atlantic salmon and brook trout.” 

For more information, please contact Reardon at jreardon@asfmaine.org or207 615-9200.