How the Great Race Will Affect Traffic in Central Maine

One of the most exciting things to happen in Central Maine this summer is the return of the Great Race.

When the event rolled through Maine in 2018, Gardiner was one of the stops along the way. This year, Gardiner gets the honor of being the finish line.

For those who are unfamiliar, the Great Race is a nine-day, 2,300-mile road rally.

This year’s event, which started on June 22 in Owensboro, Kentucky, features over 140 cars of all vintages. Spectators are likely to see vehicles from the 1920s through the early 2000s.

The drivers have worked their way up the East Coast and made stops in Marietta, Ohio, Morgantown, West Virginia, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Providence, Rhode Island. This year’s event will conclude in Gardiner on Sunday, June 30.

It should not be a surprise that this event will cause traffic hiccups throughout Central Maine. In addition to the 140+ vehicles involved in the rally, there will be hundreds of other support and vendor vehicles.

The Gardiner, Maine, website provides the following information about the event.

All Day Traffic Issues:

Waterfront Park will be closed all day to host event activities.
Water Street will be closed from Church Street to Vine Street (Church St/Maine Ave intersection remains open until 12:15)
Traffic from Route 24 (South Gardiner) will detour onto Vine Street to Brunswick Avenue.

Afternoon Traffic Issues:

Brunswick Avenue traffic will detour onto Washington Avenue.
Church Street will be open for local traffic, and will detour on Mechanic Street and back up Brunswick Avenue Hill. No vehicular access through the City Hall parking area will be allowed.
Bridge Street traffic will detour onto Winter Street to Summer Street or Highland Avenue.
Traffic on Maine Avenue will detour through the Hannaford lot to Bridge Street.
Arcade Street and parking area will be open for local traffic for those who live or work downtown.

As the actual finish line is located in Gardiner, it is important to note that some of the town’s streets will be closed to traffic for much of the day on Sunday.

You can see a map of the road closures and get a schedule for the day HERE.