With the price of liquid asphalt more than doubling since January, the Maine Department of Transportation announced Tuesday it is suspending $14.3 million worth of road paving projects scheduled for later this summer.

In Lewiston, the state will suspend paving work on Main Street between Lisbon Street and Riverside and a 1.28 mile project along East Avenue.

In Auburn, it will delay milling and repaving Minot Avenue between Manley Road and High Street, work scheduled for this fall. The state will also suspend paving work on Upland Road in Lisbon.

In all, the state is suspending work on 85 miles of roads.

"These are still priority projects, so they are not gone," said department spokesman Mark Latti. "They'll be put back on the list and we'll try to get to them next year."

The price of liquid asphalt has doubled since January, increasing from $307.50 per ton to $765 as of Aug. 4. The department expects the price to continue rising.

"We cannot afford to continue with paving projects that are scheduled for later this year, nor would it be a wise use of funds to do so," Commissioner David Cole said in a statement.

Maine uses more than 57,000 tons of liquid asphalt each summer paving and repairing Maine roads. The state had originally budgeted $105 million to pave 825 miles of roads in 2008. Now, the state is on track to spend $107 million on its summer paving program. That will pay for work for 740 miles of roads.

Auburn officials said they were confident the state's decision wouldn't change things much. Community Services Director Eric Labelle said city crews are working to complete storm sewer work along Minot Avenue over the next few weeks. They were planning for the state to come in later in the fall to pave over the pavement cuts that will be left.

"But as long as it happens in the spring, we should be fine," he said. "It's a legitimate project and the road does need it, so I'm confident that the work will happen."

Labelle said he learned Monday that the state had rejected bids on the Minot Avenue project, so he knew a delay was possible.

Wes Enman, Lewiston highway engineer, said both the Main Street and East Avenue projects were basic overlays that had been scheduled but never went to bid.

A state project in Lewiston, repaving Sabattus Street between Campus and Rideout avenues and Pond and Bradbury roads, will continue, however.

"We were lucky that we got that one started," Enman said.