If you had to commute north on Route 201 through Farmingdale and Hallowell this morning, you probably encountered a less than pleasant surprise: traffic backed up to a standstill for a few miles.

Mark Latti said Maine DOT crews were the culprit. Crews were repairing a washout just south of the railroad crossing in both towns.

"The rains started to erode the road shoulder," Latti sid. "With more strong rains coming, we decided it needed to be fixed."

An excavator put in some large rock to create a "permanent erosion solution," Latti said.

The work should be done today, he said, and the commute will return to normal.

Police are on scene of a vehicle crash on Route 27 in Sidney just north of Augusta.

At least one vehicle has rolled over, trapping the person inside, according to a police radio broadcast.

A broadcast shortly there after said a victim inside was unresponsive and did not have a pulse.

There was no immediate information regarding how many vehicles or victims are involved in the incident.

The road around the incident, which is about 3 miles north of Augusta, has been shut down, according to state police dispatch.

Police were dispatched to the scene about 3:30 p.m.

Road work on Bangor Street will start this evening, Maine Department of Transportation officials said.

The 0.6-mile stretch of road will undergo much needed milling and repaving. Work will start at the rotary and end just beyond North Belfast Avenue.

MaineDOT spokesman Mark Latti said both lanes will remain open during the day, and work will be done from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Latti said the road work should wrap up by Friday, weather permitting.

No traffic accidents have been reported for the commute home this evening.

Things are still going smoothly with the detours caused by the closure of I-295 southbound from Gardiner to Topsham, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.

Traffic has been moving along on the designated alternate routes, Route 201 and I-95, throughout the week, according to DOT.

However, DOT offered this warning Friday afternoon:

Looking toward the first weekend of full closure, motorists should avoid traveling during peak travel times on Friday and Sunday evenings.

Commercial vehicles are discouraged from using Route 201 since it travels through residential neighborhoods and will have decreased speed limits. Motorists are reminded to use I-95/Maine Turnpike when traveling to Portland and points south, and Route 201 for Brunswick/Freeport traffic.

Starting Monday, there will be increased truck traffic on Summerhaven Road in Augusta as the contractor, Pike Industries, begins hauling asphalt to the I-295 site.

Pike will use I-95 to get to the construction area as opposed to traveling by local roads. This hauling will take place seven days a week for the next six weeks during daylight hours, though the schedule may change due to weather conditions.

Pike has been doing preparatory work since early May. Paving is expected to begin on Monday. The project is expected to last through August 30th and will rehabilitate 18 miles of the deteriorating concrete road.

We received an interesting e-mail today. A loyal reader was curious about road work being done on three miles of Route 27 in Belgrade.

“The stretch of road from near Hammond Lumber towards the 'village' is, at this point, one of the best stretches of roadway in Maine,” the reader wrote. “Why would they not spend the time and money elsewhere to fix other roads? I can think of a lot more, especially state routes, that could use it.”

Well, we tried to get as much of the scoop as we could.

Paving will start on that three-mile stretch tomorrow and hopefully wrap up by Monday if Mother Nature is agreeable, Maine Department of Transportation spokeswoman Meg Lane said.

Lane was not entirely sure why the work was needed, but added a new guardrail was installed.

“Right now, there is grooved pavement 25 feet wide, as well as on the shoulder,” Lane said. “People will need to be aware of that, as well as the paving work.”

Awesome news, folks. The Kennebec Commuter has noticed at least five gas stations in the greater Augusta area that have actually LOWERED their prices. Though a few cents here and there may not sound like much, it is certainly a welcome change to driving by the same stations each day and seeing the price climb.

More awesome news: We have heard from many of you about how gas prices are impacting your family's lives, particularly those of you who live in rural areas. Some of you have even written in to offer tips on what you're doing to save gas and keep costs down! Keep those stories and ancedotes coming — we're looking to do an article to profile how the average rural family is handling the high costs of gas, which is something many of us here in Maine can relate to.

Finally, there may be some relief in sight for Bangor Street in Augusta. Night work is to commence on the street next Monday and should wrap up Wednesday or Thursday. The road is riddled with uneven dips and potholes.

Smooth sailing so far.

That’s the word today from the Maine Department of Transportation regarding the rerouting of motorists to U.S. Route 201 because of the southbound closure on Interstate 295.

The interstate, from Gardiner to Topsham, will be closed for 10 weeks.

At this point, the rerouting seems to be working, according to the Maine Department of Transportation spokeswoman Meg Lane.

As the project progresses, she said the department will continue to monitor traffic and meet with first responders along that corridor to listen to their concerns.

For everyone’s safety — motorists and residents — she said speed limits on Route 201 have been reduced by five miles per hour.

“It appears to be running smoothly,” Lane said today. “This morning I got a couple of e-mails to that effect. But we will continue to monitor it and make adjustments as necessary. And encourage people to use the Maine Turnpike if they’re going south and if they are commercial vehicles.”

Sure, times are tough all over. Folks are clipping coupons to use at the grocery store to save a few pennies. People aren't driving all over creation like they used to. But how are gas prices REALLY affecting your day-to-day life?

GARDINER — Drivers traveling through Gardiner on the Maine Turnpike today need to be aware of a lane closure.

Maine Turnpike Authority officials said the southbound lane of the Gardiner interchange bridge at mile marker 102 on the pike will be closed until 5 p.m. today.

The speed limit has been reduced to 50 mph until the lane reopens.

Officials did not indicate when the work would be finished and whether the lane would have to be closed again for the remainder of the week.

Not that the Kennebec Commuter condones playing hooky from work, but if you have the chance to get out of the office early to enjoy this beautiful weather, take it!

No accidents have been reported this afternoon in the greater Augusta area or on the Turnpike near the construction work.

Those who live in and around Readfield should expect traffic delays and possible detours next week, town officials announced today.

Two miles of the Plains Road will be reshaped and repaved starting Monday. The work should wrap up by the end of the week, town officials believe.

It will be a quiet commute home tonight; no traffic accidents have been reported this afternoon.

Today's skies might have been gray and dreary, but the roads have remained quiet, according to area law enforcement. No accidents have been reported in the greater Augusta area.

The Kennebec Commuter got an interesting phone call today from a gentleman wanting a status report on I-295. The lanes haven't shut down yet, but be warned that at midnight on June 16, no one will be traveling that way until the end of August.

Additionally, the gentleman said, the 5-1-1 information number for the interstate's driving conditions is not working. We're looking into the problem, but in the meantime, be sure to check out www.kjonline.com for the latest updates on the interstate project.

Safety checks on commercial vehicles — trucks or cars used for business — started today, officials at the Maine Department of Public Safety said.

Roadcheck 2008 is a national law enforcement endeavor that promotes the inspection of such vehicles. The checks will span three days, including today.

Troopers and motor carrier inspectors will check commercial vehicles at the York and Kittery weigh stations. There will be additional patrols performing checks on the turnpike and Interstate 95.

More than 3,000 commercial vehicles were inspected by Maine State Police last summer.

Today marks what Maine State Police could be the second fatal wrong-way crash on the Maine Turnpike.

An Augusta man died this morning after he reportedly drove four miles going the wrong way down the turnpike and crashed head-on into another vehicle.

The accident happened at 2 a.m. at Mile Marker 117.