CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Work has begun on two different construction projects to improve Route 27 in Wyman Township, Carrabassett Valley and Kingfield, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.

“We’ve started work in reconstruction of six miles of roadway and on roadside guardrail updates on another six miles,” said William Bourne, Maine DOT’s construction manager for both projects.

“The roadway improvement project begins in Carrabassett Valley at the intersection of Route 27 and the Redington development road, and extends north past Carrabassett Valley Academy, the Sugarloaf USA access road, and up the truck climbing line, ending just north of the Carrabassett Valley-Wyman Township boundary line. The guardrail safety improvements begin just north of the Maine DOT maintenance lot on Route 27 in Kingfield and extend north to Carriage Road in Carrabassett Valley,” he said.

Work on the highway improvement project includes drainage improvements, reshaping roadside ditches, paving roadside shoulders, resurfacing the roadway and replacing the oversized culvert carrying Hackett Brook under Route 27. The guardrail project includes replacing all nonstandard guardrail and updating other sections to the latest standards.

“We’ll do our best to minimize traffic disruption during construction, but motorists can expect to encounter a temporary traffic signal during installation of the replacement culvert at Hackett Brook,” Bourne said.

The contract covering both projects, awarded to CPM Constructors of Freeport on a bid of nearly $2.2 million, calls for completion of both projects by early November.