SOLON – A road construction project was blamed for the interruption of long distance telephone service late last week in some central and eastern Maine communities.

Excavation on the French Hill Road resulted in a buried fiber-optic cable being accidentally severed Friday, according to a spokesman for TDS Telecom. The accident shut down long distance service in communities from Hampden to Jonesboro, including Exeter and Stetson.

The cable was repaired and service was restored.