Bangor traffic routes to shift for soapbox derby

BANGOR – Buck Street will be transformed into a racetrack this weekend as 80 racers participate in the annual Eastern Maine Soap Box Derby.

Traffic on Main, Buck and Lincoln streets will be slightly altered for travelers, but only a small section of one road will be completely closed, according to derby president Hartley Webb.

Buck Street will be shut down beginning around 9 a.m. today from the Main Street intersection up to Sunnyside Florists and Greenhouses.

The street will reopen after Saturday’s event, which derby president Hartley Webb estimates will wrap up at 8 p.m. at the latest.

Lincoln Street is part of the racers’ return route, but will remain open to traffic, he said.

The right travel lane of Main Street, headed toward Hampden, also will be closed, but the other lanes will be open. Lighted billboards are expected to be put in the area this week to advise travelers of scheduled traffic changes.