Festival traffic doesn’t worry police chief

ELLSWORTH – Despite local traffic delays last year as vehicles headed north toward the National Folk Festival in Bangor, the local police chief is not concerned about similar backups this weekend.

Last year, vehicles on Route 3 backed up approximately a mile into Trenton on the Saturday of the festival as people headed north to the event.

Ellsworth Police Chief John DeLeo said Thursday that though traffic is a general concern in Ellsworth, he is not worried about the effects this year’s festival might have on traffic flow through the city.

He said the city has not made any special traffic flow arrangements in the event that traffic through Ellsworth this weekend is heavier than usual.

“When you have 100,000 vehicles, what’s 5,000 more?” DeLeo said.

According to state officials, approximately 40,000 vehicles travel along High Street, Ellsworth’s busiest thoroughfare, each day during the summer season.

Festival organizers have said they expect as many as 100,000 people to attend the three-day event this year.

Motorists who may be concerned that traffic will back up in Ellsworth can take alternate routes.

People driving from Washington County or eastern Hancock County can avoid Ellsworth by using connecting roads to get to Route 9 and then approach Bangor from the east. Festival-goers concerned about U.S. Route 1A traffic north of downtown Ellsworth can use Route 180 through Otis and Clifton to get to Route 9.

Festival performances on Saturday and Sunday are expected to get under way each day at noon. The first performances today are expected to start at 6 p.m.

DeLeo acknowledged there have been recent delays in Ellsworth caused by a malfunctioning traffic signal at Wal-Mart on Route 3, but he said the signal has been fixed and is working properly.

Steps are being taken to alleviate congestion of festival-bound traffic in Bangor as well.

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is encouraging people to bring bicycles with them so they can park at various sites outside of downtown Bangor and then pedal their way to the festival grounds along the Bangor waterfront, where there will be valet bicycle parking near the intersection of Main and Railroad streets.

Festival organizers also have set up shuttle bus service from parking areas at Bass Park to the performance areas.

Information on the festival is available on the Internet at www.nationalfolkfestival.com.