The Kennebec Commuter got a nasty surprise this morning — several feet of water in the parking lot of the apartment building we live in. The water was starting to lap at this writer's beloved car.

The Kennebec Commuter was lucky. Others, not so much.

What is one supposed to do if their car is flooded out?

Lauren Fix, “The Car Coach” has some tips which can be found on the Web site, www.familycar.com:

• Call your insurance company right away and tell them what happened.

• Do not try to move or start your car if the floodwaters are higher than the middle of your tires, as that can actually cause more damage to your vehicle. The electrical system can be damaged by the water if it gets high enough.

• Once the water recedes, call a tow truck to move the vehicle and ask for your trusted mechanic or technician to check for unseen damage.

Has this happened to you? Call the Kennebec Commuter at 623-3811 ext. 431 or drop an e-mail at mmalloy@centralmaine.com

With a flood watch for the Augusta area in effect, new rules for commuting apply.

Never drive through water that is over a road. Most cars will be swept away by flood waters in 18 inches of moving water, according to the Web site, www.floodsafety.com.

Taking a route on higher ground, even if it is out of your way, is always a safer bet.

A flood warning for most of Maine is currently in effect and showers are expected to continue all through the night, according to the National Weather Service.

No vehicle accidents have been reported this afternoon.

Today's evening commute should be quiet, according to area law enforcement agencies. No accidents have been reported.

For those in West Gardiner, be prepared for work crews to resume work on Route 126 Monday morning, as they prepare to lay pipes for the new toll service plaza.

Finally, Maine State Police are still trying to pick up the pieces of a Windsor accident which killed Shawn Ferguson, a 42 year-old man from Whitefield. Hours later, officials were in Leeds on Route 126 at an accident which killed Diane Heald, 56, of Monmouth. No charges have been filed in either accident.

Drivers heading east on Rt. 126 in West Gardiner today will encounter workers installing utility lines along the road between Gardiner Middle School and west of the Maine Turnpike.

The workers will be on the job until 6 p.m. today, and at it again tomorrow, Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Eastbound traffic will be directed away from the work zones. At times, traffic could be reduced to one, alternating lane.

-MS

Be prepared to slow down this evening if you're taking Route 126 eastbound though West Gardiner.

Work crews will shift traffic on to the shoulder of the road so utility lines can be laid between Gardiner Area Middle School and the turnpike.

Speeds are going to be reduced to 30 mph until 6 p.m., when the traffic shift is lifted, Maine Turnpike Authority officials said.

Ditch the car today; the weather is too beautiful to drive!

No traffic accidents have been reported for the evening commute tonight by local law-enforcement agencies.

We're looking for cyclists who love to trek to work or school on their 10-speed, but dread the prospect of being hit by an irresponsible motorist. Send us your stories to mmalloy@centralmaine.com or call 623-3811 Ext. 431

Drivers in West Gardiner shouldn’t worry about gaining time on their commute starting today, when work crews commence a four-month project to lay water and sewer lines along Route 126, between the off-ramp for I-295 and Gardiner’s town line, Maine Turnpike Authority spokesman Dan Paradee announced this morning.

The water and sewer lines will provide service to the new West Gardiner toll plaza, slated to open by mid-November.

Paradee said the project is expected to continue until mid-summer, but the work will not hinder traffic beyond “occasional and brief traffic stops” for blasting.

It must not be a good day to be on Water Street.

A tractor trailer on Water Street in Augusta became stuck after the truck failed to clear the bridge just after 1 p.m. today. No one was injured and the driver, Solomon Abaynh, of Boston, was able to drive his trailer away from the scene around 3 p.m.

"The minute I saw the sign I knew I was in trouble," Abaynh said of the sign attached to the bridge warning of low clearance.

Presently, police are on scene of an accident on Water Street in Hallowell, after receiving word there were "fluids" all over the road, a dispatcher for Augusta police said. No injuries were reported in that accident.

AUGUSTA — The northbound lane of Water Street/Route 104 has closed in downtown Augusta following a tractor-trailer's encounter with the train bridge.

The tractor-trailer rig driven by Solomon Abaynh, of Boston, became stuck when Abaynh tried to pass underneath the bridge, where a sign warns drivers of "low clearance." Augusta Police received the report of the accident at 1:19.

No injuries occurred. Wreckers were attempting to extricate the trailer at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

-MS

It'll be a quiet commute (unless you're on I-95 going from Waterville to Sidney).

No traffic accidents have been reported by area-law enforcement agencies.

This week is expected to be beautiful. Warm temperature, sunny skies, and hopes of ditching the car and taking alternative transportation to work, like a bicycle.

Do you take to bike riding in the spring? What are you concerns about motorists? Drop us a line at 623-3811 ext. 431 or mmalloy@centralmaine.com to sound off.

Construction season in central Maine is well underway, as the Maine Department of Transportation commenced repaving a 12-mile section of Interstate 95 between Sidney and Waterville.

A streak of clear weather could be coming to an end tonight, according to the National Weather Service, but not early enough to disrupt the commute home.

Forecasters are talking about "a slight chance of rain" in the late afternoon. The worse weather — rain and maybe, dare I say, snow — could be in the offing tonight.

For now, the commute home appears clear. Enjoy the weekend.

-Matt Stone

Meghan Malloy is on vacation.

Maine State Police are on scene at a motorcycle-vs.-vehicle accident on High Street in West Gardiner.

Police were called the scene at 3:30 p.m. and remained on scene until at least 4:45 p.m.

Details about the accident, including how many people were involved and the degree of their injuries, were not immediately available.

Gov. John Baldacci proclaimed this week Work Zone Safety Week in a Monday ceremony in his office.

There were 611 vehicle-related crashes in 2006, every one of them preventable, he said.

In the 611 crashes, 23 injuries were reported and one person was killed.

On the cusp of construction season, Baldacci, joined by several agencies and organizations including the Federal Highway Association, Maine Better Transportation and the state Department of Public Safety, urged drivers to slow down in construction zones and be mindful of crew workers, particularly on Maine's interstates.

"We must be vigilant," Baldacci said.

Baldacci also met with Jake Nelson, a fourth-grader from Cape Elizabeth, who designed the winning poster MaineDOT will use in its public service announcements for this particular campaign.

Work Zone Safety Week ends April 12.

April showers bring May flowers....and snow.

The commute might be slick tonight from what meteorologists like to call “wintry mix” (rain and snow).

What a beautiful spring day!

Enjoy the commute home tonight. It is reportedly accident-free in the greater Augusta community.

Although springtime is reluctantly coming to Maine, the emergence of our forest friends - particularly deer - presents a commuting hazard. We're still looking for folks to share their experiences if they have been unfortunate enough to be involved in a deer-vs.-car accident.

Drop a line at 623-3811 ext. 431 or mmalloy@centralmaine.com

Augusta police dispatchers are reporting traffic lights on outer Western Avenue have been restored and are in working order again.

The lights went on the fritz around 3 p.m. today.

No accidents were reported in the area while the lights were out of commission.

The rest of the commute home is reportedly free of accidents.

No traffic accidents were reported for the drive home by area law-enforcement agencies.

A dispatcher from the central regional communications center said a property damage accident that happened in the county in the early afternoon has been cleared and no injuries were reported.