OXFORD – State workers will take a short break from the ongoing Route 26 resurfacing to continue the same work down Route 121 and beyond.

“We’ll be back in another week,” said Ben Johnson, inspector of the project that is adding a shim to a stretch of the roadway between Skeetfield and Rabbit Valley roads. “We’ll be back in a week to put a surface on.”

The 2.5-mile area is part of an overall 4.5-mile stretch of Route 26 going South toward Poland that state Department of Transportation workers are resurfacing between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. this week and for the next several weeks.

The plan is to work on Route 121 to the center of Mechanic Falls then continue onto Route 124. A portion of Route 119 in Hebron will be done as well. Each road will receive one coat of surface.

Johnson said the work will hold road surfaces for eight to 10 years, and it is anticipated that long before then, the state will come up with funds for major reconstruction work.

“The reconstruction is still in the works,” said Johnson of the next portion of Route 26. “I can’t tell you when, but this will act as a holding action until a much bigger project will happen.”

Johnson said long traffic delays are inevitable. “There is no good way around it” for motorists attempting to bypass Route 26 during the road work.

The delays affect motorists and trucks hauling road materials. Johnson estimates that the job has been delayed several hours due to traffic delays.