$107M I-395 Connector Cuts Heavy-Truck Traffic up to 79% Near Brewer

Heavy-truck traffic through Brewer and Eddington has fallen sharply in the year since the Interstate 395 connector opened, according to Maine Department of Transportation figures cited by the Bangor Daily News. Truck traffic on Route 9 dropped 60% and on Route 46 dropped 79%, compared with 2023 levels, MaineDOT communications director Andrew Gobeil said. Built for $107 million, the six-mile connector links I-395 to Route 9, known locally as the Airline, and was designed to route trucks headed for the Canadian border away from routes 46 and 1A. Kelly Gatcomb, who has worked four years at Rivers Edge Convenience Store on Route 9 in Eddington, said far fewer semi trucks now speed past the shop and her home. Brewer assistant city manager Jason Moffitt said the city lacks formal counts but that residents and staff believe truck traffic on North Main Street has eased. MaineDOT plans a follow-up study for the summer of 2026 to track 2026 traffic patterns. Gatcomb said car traffic on Route 9 has held steady, and some neighbors along the connector have complained about added noise.

This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.