BOWDOINHAM -- Residents and business owners appeared unable to sway state transportation officials from their stance that access to Interstate 295 can't be provided safely in Richmond or Bowdoinham during a major repaving project between Gardiner and Topsham this summer.

Department of Transporation addressed a small but vocal crowd of residents and business owners at an informational meeting Wednesday night in Bowdoinham.

The northbound lanes of I-295 between Topsham and Gardiner will be closed for much of the summer when crews from Pike Industries repave 18 miles of the road. The project, and detour, will be similar to one in the southbound lanes last summer.

During construction, northbound traffic will use the southbound lanes of the interstate. SSouthbound traffic will detour onto either U.S. Route 201 through Gardiner and Richmond, or onto the Maine Turnpike.

And while the exits to Richmond and Bowdoinham from I-295 will stay open, the entrances will close.

Mark Wescott, general manager of Port City, a car auction business just off Exit 43 in Richmond, expressed concern his customers will have difficulty getting to and from the auctions, which take place nearly every Thursday.

"I don't understand the lack of appreciation of the hardship you're putting on businesses at Exit 43," Wescott said. "When my customers get settled in to the idea it's too difficult to get to me, they'll go to other auctions instead. I realize I'm not Abercrombie and Fitch, not an international business or anything, but I'd appreciate consideration of that."

Wescott's reference to being an international business was in response to a previous comment from Brad Foley project manager for DOT, regarding not wanting to direct traffic to the Maine Turnpike in southern Maine in part because that would prevent tourist traffic from the south being able to get off Interstate 295 in Freeport, a major retail and outlet area popular with tourists.

Foley and other DOT officials said they tried to find a way to provide access onto 295 in Richmond and Bowdoinham but determined it couldn't be done safely. Traffic would have to merge into the passing lane, from the left, both of which are the opposite of how merging generally takes place.

Foley said the consensus of emergency first responders in the area, including police and fire chiefs in Richmond, was it would be unsafe to use what are normally the southbound offramps as northbound onramps.

He said initial plans didn't provide either entry or exit in Richmond and Bowdoinham.

"The ramps are fairly short, and it'd be a tough merge, into the high-speed lane of travel," said Foley, "It's really about safety. We started with nobody getting on or off."

Steve Musica, Richmond's interim town manager, countered that plenty of highways have access from the left -- and don't have a rash of accidents to show for it. "You're making a big deal out of it," Musica said.

Musica noted the lack of interstate access in Richmond and Bowdoinham will put additional traffic onto U.S. Route 201, which will already see extra traffic from southbound vehicles using it as a detour around the repaving project.

He also said trucks accessing the project and Pike Industries' staging area off Beedle Road in Richmond could damage local roads.

Jim Hanley, of Pike Industries, said Pike agreed with the town that the company would repair any damage it does to local roads.

"We plan to repair any damage we do," Hanley said. "We never run away. We plan to be around, and we like to have happy neighbors and happy communities where we can come back and do work."

Wednesday's meeting was a marked contrast to a similar session last year in Richmond attended by perhaps 100 residents, many of whom had concerns about their own safety due to detoured traffic coming onto local roads.

Only about 15 people -- and one cat -- attended Wednesday's session, about half of them DOT representatives.

Some work is under way now. The full lane closures start June 16 and are expected to last through August.

Similar to last year, Pike will receive a financial bonus if it finishes early.

DOT will provide updates on the project, including live Web camera shots of the interstate, and an ability to sign up for e-mail updates, at www.mainedot.gov and through a toll-free line at 1-(866) 646-1520.

Keith Edwards -- 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com