RANGELEY – The 52-mile Rangeley Scenic Byway will get a face-lift in the next few years, including moving and straightening the Height of Land on Route 17.

Three other scenic byways are also slated for improvements: Route 26 from Newry to Grafton Notch, Route 27 from Kingfield to Wyman Township, and the Old Canada Road from Solon to Canada.

The famed turnout at the Height of Land is scheduled for preliminary work this summer, but actual construction will probably not start for at least two years, when funds become available.

Maine Department of Transportation employees will work on a comprehensive plan for improvement of the popular spot near an Appalachian Trail crossing.

In the works is a plan to move and straighten the road, placing it farther from the cliff edge, making it safer for passenger vehicles and commercial logging trucks that frequently use the road. Better parking for hikers is also planned, according to Bret Poi of the Maine Department of Transportation.

A new overlook on Route 4 south of Rangeley with views of Rangeley Lake is due to go out for bids soon, he said. Plans are complete and construction is ready to begin once a contractor is secured.

Poi said he hopes construction will start by mid-August, with the project completed by early November. Construction should not affect traffic in town, he said.

MDOT is also working with the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust to bring a visitor and interpretive center to Rangeley. The center is still in the initial planning stages.

The four scenic byways will have a total of 60 interpretive panels with information about the views. In addition, some of the roads will be improved. Federal grants have enabled the Maine Department of Transportation to begin work on the four byways. The state partially matches federal grants for road improvements. The scenic byway program received $1 million recently, a quarter of which will go toward the Rangeley area.

Copy the Story Link