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.

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.

No was killed, but at least one person was air-lifted from the scene of a five-vehicle accident on the Maine Turnpike just south of Auburn.

The accident happened at 8:20 this morning in the southbound lanes between Auburn and Gray.

The numbers are in, and it looks like traveling on the Maine Turnpike over the holiday weekend met expectations, although percentages show compared to last year, traveling decreased.

According to Maine Turnpike Authority officials

• Approximately 216,492 vehicles passed through the York Toll Plaza Friday through Monday, a decrease of 4.2 percent from 2007.

• Approximately 76,676 vehicles passed northbound through the York Toll Plaza on Friday and Saturday, a decrease of 3.4 percent from 2007.

Well, we made it, folks. It's finally Memorial Day weekend. With the kickoff to summer also comes caution while traveling to camp or the beaches.

Those of us living north of Topsham are being advised to find another route to head south rather than I-295. Construction work will continue all weekend, at the request of The Maine Department of Transportation and the contractor they're working with.

"We can't insist the contractor stop working," spokeswoman Meg Lane said. "We'd really be behind the eight ball."

For those going through I-295 regardless, be on watch for an increased presence of state troopers, who will be enforcing the reduced 55 mph speed limit. Fines double in work zones.

What are turnpike officials expecting on I-95 this weekend? Check out tomorrow’s Kennebec Journal.

Those using the turnpike near the Litchfield mile marker (91), be warned, you many run into slight delays during the morning rush.

The Maine Turnpike Authority will be closing the southbound lane for the rest of the week between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. for road work.

For those working the late shift, give yourself a few extra minutes to get to work; the National Weather Service projects the Augusta area will get freezing rain, with rain and above-freezing temperatures going into tomorrow.

Work on the turnpike has finished for the day, ensuring a smooth commute home, officials said this afternoon.

Southbound road work is being done on the turnpike at mile markers 91 in Litchfield and 107 in Hallowell. Workers wrapped it up at 3 p.m. today, according to officials.

Augusta area law enforcement agencies say the roads around the capital city are clear and dry for the commute home tonight; no traffic accidents have been reported for the afternoon.

The Maine Turnpike Authority is planning to move forward with the final phase of adjustments to be made to the Maine Turnpike, according to the department's website.

A service plaza in West Gardiner is scheduled to start construction sometime this month. Landford and Low of Portland was awarded the contract at $7.7 million, turnpike officials said.

The facility, which will be 19,500 square feet, is expected to be the last phase of the turnpike's overall project to renovate the plazas. Besides West Gardiner, new plazas were also built in Kennebunk, Cumberland and Gray, officials said.

The new plaza, officials said, will replace the ones in Lewiston and Litchfield. Crews are expected to finish the work in fall of this year.

Do you use the Lewiston and Litchfield plazas? Are you likely to use the West Gardiner plaza?

A collision which happened on the Maine Turnpike near Falmouth has been cleared, turnpike officials said this evening. The accident, which was believed to have tied up traffic in the southbound lanes, was reported at 3:30 p.m. and cleared less than an hour later.

In the Augusta area, no rush hour accidents were reported.

Need to fill up the gas tank and not break the bank? Check out these area gas stations, compliments of the web site www.mainegasprices.com:

Lukoil on Western Avenue near the rotary — $3.04/gallon

Capital Mini-Mart on State Street — $3.05/gallon

Dead River Gas on Eastern Avenue — $3.06/gallon

The Maine Turnpike Authority has reduced the speed limit on the pike from Kittery to Exit 109 in Augusta to 45 mph, officials announced today.

The speed reduction will stay in effect until further notice. Officials urge drivers to use caution driving on the pike.

The Citizen Advisory Committee for the Maine Turnpike Authority will be meeting Wednesday night.

On the agenda? Discussing and reviewing the equity of the toll rates on the pike.

You’re already late to work, barreling down the Maine Turnpike. Hoping to avoid an accident or that large patch of black ice you heard about on the news, you tune into the 1610 AM, the turnpike’s radio station which keeps drivers in the loop.